Utilization of Alternative Assessment in the Virtual Classroom in Trinidad and Tobago: A Study about Teacher’s Perception

This cross-sectional survey research sought to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the use of alternative assessments in the virtual classroom. The population selected for this study was teachers from five (5) schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Many teachers were overwhelmed by the shift to the virtual classroom because up to the start of the pandemic, they were not the major drivers of change within the education system. In this new century society is located within the 4th Industrial Revolution, where society is driven by technology, data, and the knowledge economy. Purposeful sampling was used to select the twenty participants and the instrument used was a questionnaire comprising closed and open-ended items. The findings revealed that teachers are aware of alternative assessment and they utilized some alternative assessment strategies during the pandemic. Teachers acknowledged the need for them to develop additional competencies and be provided with the necessary resources to effectively utilize alternative assessments. They suggested that more professional development workshops should be conducted in schools and that teacher training institutions consider revising their approach to the teaching of student assessment. The findings of this study address the need for more focus to be placed on the way in which teacher training institutions prepare trainees, especially in the area of assessment. Improvement in this area would ensure that there is a greater level of assessment literacy among teachers. Further research should be conducted to determine if alternative assessment is being used as face-to-face/in-person teaching has resumed.