ASSESSING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SESLOAF OBJECTIVES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DISTRICT LARKANA: GAPS, BARRIERS, AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

This study examines the implementation gaps, barriers and challenges of Sindh Education Student Learning Outcome Assessment Framework (SESLOAF) in public secondary schools of District Larkana. SESLOAF standardizes assessment practices and integrates instructional, curricular, and assessment objectives to align with student learning outcomes SLOs. By utilizing qualitative approach this study is grounded in an interpretivist paradigm with a subjective understanding of context using phenomenological design to understand participants’ lived experiences. The data was collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews from purposively sampled 14 participants (head teachers, teachers and students) from targeted population. Braun & Clarke’s model (2006) was applied for thematic analysis and the themes were further triangulated with document analysis of two official assessment reports including PAT 2021-22 & ASPIRE 2023 report. The findings of this study reveals that their exists partial awareness of SESLOAF framework among educationists followed by many constraints such as overcrowded classrooms, short classroom periods, infrastructural inefficiencies, overloaded syllabi Etc., all these leave no room for successful implementation of effective assessment practices. The study also revealed that their existed a complete absence of PD on assessment programs that creates a hesitant environment within teachers to adopt assessment practices. Further monitoring mechanisms lead by head of institutes could not substitute targeted capacity building in teachers and students also suggested modern forms of assessments to be conducted in their daily classrooms however, there was perceived lack of assessment literacy in teachers. Likewise document analysis of different assessment official reports further verified a misalignment between SESLOAF objectives and actual students and teacher achievement scores. This study contributes to evidence based district level literature confirming assessment maladjustments and further recommends strengthening SESLOAF based trainings across province, assessment monitoring setups, revision of SLOs in curricula and use of accessible formative strategies and digital tools. Apparently, this study encourages further future studies on relevant implementation gaps and itself provides a ground for assessment practices at local levels.