International Journal of Educational Research Review www.ijere.com The Influence National Examinations on Classroom Practice in Primary Schools in Uganda: Case of Kampala and Kabale Districts John Mary Vianney Mitana 1 , Anthony Mugagga Muwagga 2 , Cornelius Ssempala 3 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: Received 31.12.2018 Received in revised form 27.04.2019 Accepted Available online 01.07.2019 Most classroom practices in developing countries are of an authoritarian nature and teacher-driven. Learners are rarely involved in the teaching and learning processes. Consequently, many of them complete school without learning enough of what they are expected to learn to optimally function in their respective societies. Studies have continuously blamed such a situation on the influence of national examinations. However, there is limited consensus on the magnitude and direction of such influence. This study, therefore, set out to explore the influence of public examinations on classroom practice. The study sample included 124 teachers, 540 pupils, 18 school administrators, 10 parents and 02 officials from the private assessment institutions (Uwezo and RTI) and one official from Uganda National Examination Board. The study reveals that teachers’ selection of teaching methods is directly influenced by assessment, particularly public examinations. The methods used in teaching were those that encourage rote learning and memorisation of facts. Therefore, little or no effort is dedicated to teaching and learning methodologies that could foster the acquisition of high order thinking skills like critical thinking or problem-solving. The study argues that national examinations can be used to improved classroom practice if the content and methods of assessment are tuned to the educational objectives. The study recommends the inclusion of more test items with high order thinking skills in the Primary Leaving Examinations. This will motivate teachers and pupils to focus classroom practice on higher order thinking competencies instead of rote learning. © IJERE. All rights reserved Keywords: 1 Examinations, primary leaving examinations, classroom practice, pedagogy, educational assessment in uganda, higher order thinking skills. INTRODUCTION Pedagogical practices, in most classrooms within low and middle-income countries, are described as authoritarian, rigid, formalistic, teacher-dominated and lecture-driven (Altinyelken, 2015). Student’s activities are often limited to memorising and reciting facts and reproducing them for the teacher during examinations (Pontefract & Hardman, 2005). Such pedagogical practices hardly nurture creative, imaginative, critical or problem-solving skills which learners require for life in and beyond school. In African, specifically in Uganda, such pedagogical practices have given rise to a phenomenon in which students who are successful in school do not have the skills and competences they require in life (Odongo, 2018). Enormous literature on assessment and examination has shown that the nature and quality of end of cycle examinations influence classroom practice (Ahmad & Rao, 2012; Chapman & Snyder, 2000; Snyder, 1997; Sukyadi & Mardiani, 2011). Whereas literature agrees that assessment and examinations influence classroom practice, there is no agreement on the nature and magnitude of the influence. For example, whereas Ahmad and Rao (2012); Sukyadi and Mardiani, (2011) argue that end of cycle examinations have a negative backwash effect on classroom practice through examinations, Chapman and Snyder (2000); Snyder (1997) argue that the influence is neutral. The argument of a neutral influence of public examinations on classroom practice contends that examination “tendencies can also be used to encourage instructional reform—by intentionally changing national tests in ways that require teachers to change their teaching in order for their students to do well on these exams” (Chapman & Snyder, 2000:460). Based on this argument of a neutral influence of public examinations on classroom practice, this article seeks to explore the influence of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) to classroom practice in Uganda. Study purpose The study aimed at exploring the influence of national examinations on classroom practice. 1 Principal, Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education , orcid.org/0000-0002-7553-7369; Researcher ID: D-9618-2018 2. Associate Professor, School of Education, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University; orcid.org/0000-0001-7190-2819 3. Senior Lecturer, School of Education, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University; orcid.org/0000-0002-1914-8350 Corresponding e-mail: mitanavianney@yahoo.com