The Impact of Student Learning Outcome-Based Exams on Students’ Academic Performance

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17524800

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Student Learning Outcome (SLO)-based examinations on academic performance in public female secondary schools across Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Focusing on four districts of Dera Ghazi Khan Division (D.G. Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur), it addresses critical gaps regarding whether SLO assessments foster meaningful learning or inadvertently encourage "teaching to the test" while potentially disadvantaging marginalized learners. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected via stratified random sampling from 340 female teachers and 372 matric-level students through a structured 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Analysis combined descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means) and inferential statistics (correlation, regression) to evaluate three objectives: current implementation of SLO-based exams, academic performance benchmarks, and their causal relationship. The study explicitly tests the null hypothesis (*H₀₁: No significant effect of SLO-based exams on academic performance*). Findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and educators to design equitable, competency-aligned assessment systems that support holistic skill development in resource-constrained settings.

Keywords: Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), Academic Performance, Competency-Based Assessment, Secondary Education, Educational Equity, Pakistan Education System, Descriptive Research, Stratified Sampling.