Attitudes and Responses to Portfolio Assessment and Writing Autonomy of Senior High Efl Students

• Main Authors: Su-chun Lo, 羅素君
• Other Authors: Ming-Tzu Liao
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/47787209027596582596

碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 96 === ABSTRACT This study investigated the effects of the portfolio assessment on the promotion of EFL writing autonomy of senior high school students in Taiwan. Specifically, it examined the students’ attitudes toward writing autonomy before and after the implementation of the portfolio assessment. It also explored how students responded to self-evaluation as well as peer-evaluation. Finally it analyzed and discussed the participants’ responses and attitudes toward the portfolio assessment. The participants of the study included the researcher herself, her thirty-three 12th grade students, and two independent evaluators, who were also the researcher’s colleagues. A five-month English writing portfolio assessment was conducted. For the data analysis, the researcher collected the students’ writing portfolios, the pre- and post-questionnaires, the mini-conferences with the students, the teacher’s reflective journal, the follow-up interviews with the selected students, and the interviews with the two independent evaluators. Based on the data analyses, both quantitative and qualitative, the findings of the study are summarized as follows: 1. First, the portfolio assessment changed the students’ attitudes toward writing autonomy, peer-evaluation, and self-evaluation. Significant differences were found in comparing the students’ attitudes between pre- and post-questionnaires. 2. Second, the portfolio assessment not only empowered the students with more responsibility for their writing but also enhanced their writing ability via peer-evaluation and self-evaluation. 3. Third, the students responded positively to the effects and benefits of self-evaluation in the portfolio assessment. By means of self-evaluation, both thinking and writing abilities were promoted. 4. Fourth, the students showed positive responses to the effects and benefits of peer-evaluation. By means of peer-evaluation, the students were inspired to write better and, accordingly, their writing performance was improved. 5. Finally, the teacher also presented her reflections and observations on the use of portfolio assessment as follows. (a) Successful peer-evaluation aroused the students’ interest in writing and enabled them to take the responsibility for their own writing. (b) The portfolio assessment cultivated the students’ ability to appreciate and criticize a composition. (c) The portfolio assessment boosted the students’ confidence in writing. (d) Despite the fact that the portfolio assessment consumed much time, the time was considered well spent and worth spending. (e) To help conduct the portfolio assessment successfully, a sound relationship between the teacher and the students was considered crucial. On the basis of the study findings, the following pedagogical implications are proposed: 1. Senior high school students in Taiwan can be empowered to take the responsibility for their writing when given opportunities. 2. Peer-evaluation can be integrated in the process of portfolio assessment to foster autonomy. 3. Self-evaluation can be integrated so that students can have an overall reflection on their strengths, weaknesses, development, and progress in the process of writing. 4. Students should have ample time to appreciate and evaluate each other’s finished portfolio. It is suggested that students may spend one semester writing and composing their portfolio and another semester exhibiting and evaluating the portfolio.