Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 school reform plan on teachers’ assessment practices

ABSTRACT To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, the School Recovery Plan (SRP) was implemented by the Department of Basic Education in South Africa. In this study, we explore the impact of the SRP on teachers’ conceptualisation of new and different assessment practices. Data were obtained from 1098 teachers using an online survey and analysed using Cultural Historical Activity Theory. The findings revealed that the reduced emphasis on formal assessments and the enhanced emphasis on formative assessment had a positive impact on teachers’ teaching practices. These findings point to a conducive environment for transforming teachers’ assessment practices and for developing new patterns of learning that could potentially challenge prevailing accountability and performativity cultures. Additional research is required to determine whether the intent of the SRP can lead to sustained change in teachers’ assessment practices across fee and no-fee schools, and its impact of on learners’ learning.