The fifth- and sixth-grade EFL learners’ perceptions of English language assessment

• Main Authors: Chang Li-chuan, 張麗娟
• Other Authors: Su-hwei Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/68354433488093048586

碩士 === 國立屏東商業技術學院 === 應用英語系(所) === 98 === Abstract The aim of this study is to explore elementary school students’ experiences, perceptions and expectations with assessment; to examine differences in perceptions between students with multiple assessment experiences and students with traditional assessment experiences; and to investigate the differences in perceptions among high, medium, and low achievers. This study’s methods included survey questionnaires, qualitative interviews and document collection. Six English teachers and six classes of 177 elementary school students participated in the study. The quantitative analysis of the questionnaires was conducted through descriptive statistics. The major findings suggested that (1) traditional paper-and-pencil tests were still the most common assessment type that students experienced, even though some students experienced alternative assessment. (2) Student participants had more experiences with summative assessment than formative assessment. (3) Current assessment in Taiwan is teacher dominated. Students were passively waiting to be assessed most of the time. (4) Numerical scoring was the most common type of assessment feedback. Communication between teachers and students was insufficient. (5) Most of the student participants preferred traditional assessment types, even though student participants in the multiple assessment group had more positive perceptions of their teachers’ assessment practice compared to students in the traditional assessment group. (6) High achievers perceived that they were poor at oral testing, while medium and low achievers perceived that they were poor at paper-and-pencil tests. It is hoped that through the findings in this study that EFL teachers should shift their focus of assessment away from test scores and place greater emphasis on the learners. Keywords: English assessment, student experiences, student perceptions, student expectations, multiple assessments