Effect of Observational Assessment on Students’ Problem-Solving Competency in Food Production Processes: Evidence from a Competency-Based Education Context in Kenya

Abstract

The study examined the effect of structured field-based observational assessment on Grade 9 learners’ problem-solving competency in food production processes. A quasi-experimental Solomon Four-Group design was used with 335 learners from four public secondary schools in Njoro Sub-County, Kenya. All groups participated in practical food-production activities aligned with the Grade 9 Agriculture Curriculum Design, while experimental groups received structured field-based observational assessment over 16 weeks and control groups received conventional assessment. The intervention required learners to observe actual agricultural conditions, identify food-production problems, interpret evidence, and propose appropriate management responses using predetermined criteria. A standardized pictorial skill test was administered as the common pretest and posttest outcome measure, covering soil conservation, water management, and pest and disease control. One-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in competency scores across the four groups, F(3, 331) = 52.473, p < .001, η² = .322. Tukey HSD comparisons showed that both experimental groups scored significantly higher than both control groups, while the two control groups did not differ significantly. The findings demonstrate that structured field-based observational assessment was associated with higher problem-solving competency and support its integration into competency-based agricultural education.