Grade 4 Mathematics Teachers’ Understanding of Including Investigations as Part of Summative Assessment

A mathematics investigation task requires learners to explore and analyse a specific mathematical concept, fostering independent knowledge discovery and self-directed learning skills. This paper presents a study examining teachers' ability to integrate investigation tasks as a summative assessment method in South African Grade 4 mathematics classrooms. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study profiled teachers' knowledge and skills in implementing effective investigation-based assessment procedures. A pre- and post-intervention design was used to compare teachers' understanding of conducting investigations as part of summative assessments. A purposive sample of 16 Grade 4 mathematics teachers completed an open-ended questionnaire before and after the intervention program to document their knowledge of mathematics assessment. The findings indicated that, before the intervention, teachers demonstrated limited understanding of how to effectively implement assessment procedures aligned with investigation tasks while incorporating summative assessment elements. However, after the intervention, their ability to enact effective assessment strategies within investigation tasks showed noticeable improvement. The study highlights the need for enhanced teacher capacity-building initiatives to strengthen educators' knowledge and confidence, enabling them to effectively integrate state-approved curriculum concepts and establish a more comprehensive and effective assessment approach in Grade 4 mathematics classrooms.