Abstract:

The aim of this article is to validate the role of classroom based peer assessment as a tool of raising students’ learning motivation through testing a null hypothesis that stated that. “Year 2012 SWP 210 students’ morale, motivation and throughputs cannot be improved by classroom peer assessments tasks”. The article employed a quantitative paradigm with a mini survey design. Twenty four students answered a questionnaire. Findings indicated that the majority of the students (75%) were adequately knowledgeable about the role of their peer assessments; majority (75%) recognized lecturer feedback as a source of learning motivation and 75% also indicated that classroom peer assessments increases morale, motivation and throughputs due to lecturers’ feedback. The findings, therefore, validate the null hypothesis that peer assessment enhances students’ morale, motivation and possible throughputs. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for the department of Social Work to enforce peer assessments in all its courses and the University of Fort hare Administration to ensure all the lecturers attain the PGDHET courses to adequately equip them with assessment knowledge package.

Keywords:

Peer Assessments, Feedback, learning morale, motivation, throughputs.