Assessment in the curricular discipline ‘Labor Education’ of secondary education in Angola: from mapping conceptions and practices to suggestions of improvement

Abstract

Angola has been experiencing, since 2018, a curriculum revision, at primary and secondary teaching, in order to improve official programs and teaching resources. This process intends to enhance the effective dialogue between universal and local knowledge, in a perspective of curricular integration and the promotion of curricular autonomy at different levels, in particular of teachers. As the assessment of learning is a core dimension of the curriculum matrix, this investigation aims to reflect on conceptions and practices of assessing students’ learning in the discipline of Labor Education, 9th class of the 1st cycle of regular secondary education, and their articulation. For this purpose, a multi-case study was developed, in two public schools from the municipality Lubango (Huila Province). Data and information were collected for two academic years (2018 and 2019), through documents (official program of the discipline, 7 written exams and 212 summaries), interviews (2 school directors, 2 discipline coordinators and 8 Labor Education teachers) and non-participant class observation (of 4 teachers). Collected data was subjected to content analysis. Despite the educational advances under the responsibility of the central power, results of the study indicate the existence of discrepancies between principles of the curriculum revision, the program of the discipline and teachers’ practices. A set of suggestions is presented to the central and intermediate power of the Angolan education system, as well as to schools and teachers.