A Comparative Study of Assessment Techniques in Grade 5 English Textbooks of Sindh Textbook Board and Cambridge Curriculum

Abstract

The study was intended to identify and compare the assessment strategies used in Grade 5 English learning in STB textbooks and Cambridge Primary English curriculum (Stage 5). It explored how learners’ cognitive skills, language skills, and critical thinking skills are assessed in both curricula. The study used qualitative content analysis methodology based on revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. It analyzed all the learning tasks, including exercises, comprehension, grammar, writing, and end-of-the-unit assessment in both sets of textbooks. The results indicated that majority of the assessment tasks in STB English learning for Grade 5 were related to lower-order cognitive processes of remembering and understanding and accounted for around 78% of total assessment tasks. In contrast, around 54% of total assessment tasks in the Cambridge Primary English Stage 5 accounted for higher-order thinking processes. The study revealed significant differences among both sets of textbooks in terms of level of skill integration, variety of tasks, and relationship with intended learning outcomes. The findings of the study suggested that using student-centered and balanced assessment strategies could play significant and positive roles in improving English language learning outcomes in Pakistani educational system. The study provided practical recommendations for curriculum developers, teachers, and education policy makers working in public educational institutions of Sindh province for improving assessment practices in public schools.