Assessing what Matters: English Language Proficiency, Competency Development and Formative Assessment Practices among Junior Secondary School Learning in Ndhiwa Sub-County

Charity Otieno, Amimo Catherine & Jane Genga Ayiemba
University of Eastern Africa, Baraton
Email: charityawuor87@gmail.com/ amimoc@ueab.ac.ke/ jayiemba@ueab.ac.ke

Abstract: This study assessed English language proficiency, competency development and formative assessment practices in Junior Secondary Schools in Ndhiwa Sub-County, Kenya. It was guided by concerns that assessment under Competency-Based Education (CBE) may not adequately capture what matters in language learning, particularly balanced development of reading, writing, listening, speaking and 21st-century English competencies. A descriptive research design was adopted. Data was collected from 14 schools, 13 teachers, 14 headteachers, 1 Sub-County Director of Education and 404 Grade 8 learners using questionnaires, interviews, observation checklists, and document analysis. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and thematic analysis were used for data analysis. Findings indicate that learners demonstrate moderate English language proficiency, with stronger performance in listening and basic reading comprehension, but weaker outcomes in speaking and writing. Competency development is uneven: collaboration is relatively strong, while communication remains the weakest competency. Creativity and imagination are moderately developed but largely dependent on teacher scaffolding and structured classroom tasks. Regarding assessment practices, formative assessment is moderately applied. Teachers frequently use grammar, vocabulary and writing focused assessments, while listening and speaking tasks are less consistently implemented. This imbalance contributes to uneven development of both language proficiency and competencies, particularly communication, creativity and imagination. The study concludes that although CBE-aligned formative assessment practices are present, their inconsistent application across language domains limits the achievement of balanced learner outcomes. It recommends strengthened oral language instruction, balanced formative assessment across all skills, increased use of open-ended tasks and enhanced teacher training on competency-based assessment strategies.