PENINGKATAN KUALITAS PEMBELAJARAN MENYIMAK CERPEN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN MEDIA REKAMAN PEMBACAAN CERPEN PADA SISWA KELAS XI IPA2 SMA NEGERI 1 BONTOTIRO KABUPATEN BULUKUMBA

Improving the Quality of Learning to Listen to Short Stories by Using Recorded Media for Reading Short Stories for Class XI IPA2 Students of SMA Negeri 1 Bontotiro, Bulukumba Regency.” This study aims to describe the improvement in the quality of learning to listen to short stories using short story reading recording media for students of class XI IPA2 SMA Negeri 1 Bontotiro, Bulukumba Regency.             The results of the study prove that improving the quality of learning to listen to short stories using short story reading recording media in class XI IPA2 SMA Negeri 1 Bontotiro Bulukumba Regency at the planning stage found an increase in the ability of teachers in the field of study to plan better learning implementation in cycle II. In the implementation stage, there was an increase in student activity during the learning process, such as the sincerity, discipline, and self-confidence of students following the learning process. The evaluation stage found an increase in the results of the short story listening test, showing that in the first cycle 56.09% of students experienced mastery learning, and in the second cycle it reached 97.56% who experienced learning mastery. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that the recording media for reading short stories could improve the quality of learning to listen to short stories in class XI IPA2 SMA Negeri 1 Bontotiro, Bulukumba Regency

Relationship Between Understanding and Practices About Assessment Among Elementary School Mathematics Teachers in Karachi

Assessment enables teachers to assess students' learning and utilizes the information to improve students' learning and teachers' teaching practices (Harris, Irving, & Peterson, 2008). Therefore, teachers' conceptions of assessment have become critical aspects in any educational system because evidence exists that teachers' conceptions influence how they teach and what students learn. The study investigated the relationship between mathematics teachers' conceptions regarding assessment and their assessment practices in private schools of Karachi, Pakistan. Furthermore, this study explored the differences between primary and middle school mathematics teachers' conceptions about assessment and how such teachers' conceptions regarding assessment translated into their practice. A cross-sectional survey using the 'Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment' (TCoA) questionnaire was conducted on primary and middle level mathematics teachers (n=155) of schools which had an ongoing link with AKU-IED in sending their teachers for professional development courses. Data were analyzed using correlations and the non-parametric version of the independent t-test (i.e., Mann-Whitney). Results indicate that teachers' conceptions about assessment were positively correlated (r=.780) with their assessment practices which is statistically significant (p<.001). A further dimension to this study that evolved was its qualitative component which explored the contrasting conceptions of a group of participants regarding their assessment practices. Qualitative data were collected through unstructured observations and discussions with participant teachers. Participants with progressive views about assessment focused more towards improving teaching and learning. However, teachers who had limited conceptions towards assessment focused more on judging rather than improving students' learning. Overall results indicate that participant teachers agreed most with the improvement conception and accountability conception and disagreed with the irrelevance conception. Improvement, school, and student accountability conceptions were positively correlated. The irrelevance conception was inversely related to the improvement conception. Moreover, it was found that both primary and middle level mathematics teachers had positive conceptions towards assessment but no statistically significant differences were found between their conceptions of assessment. Thus, the study suggests that teachers with limited conceptions of assessment can be helped through professional development sessions and short educational measurement courses. The study provides opportunities for future researchers to conduct studies with larger, more representative samples for generalizability.