A Cross-Sectional Study on Visual Art Students’ Perceptions of the Assessment Experience in a Public Higher Education in Ghana

Abstract

This study explores visual arts students’ perceptions of their assessment experience in a public university in Ghana which offers undergraduate degree programmes across the disciplines in Visual Art. A convenient sampling technique was used to pool 600 volunteered respondents out of a student’s population of 2,618 from the Faculty of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University Science & Technology, Kumasi. Data was collected during the second semester of 2015/2016 academic year using a face validated 20 item five-point Likert scale Students’ Assessment Experience Questionnaire with reliability estimate of .744. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way MANOVA analysis. The findings of the study pointed to the significant difference between the various visual art departments in their satisfaction with the assessment delivery and experience. The results did not show significant gap between student`s perceptions of assessment experience across the disciplines (departmental) level. There was no significant difference between students in their total satisfaction with the assessment delivery and assessment experience. However there were significant difference along receiving of feedback and assessment of artworks. Based on the findings, it is recommended that innovative assessment practices should be encouraged across the disciplines to foster creativity and deepen life-long skills among the students.