ESL Teachers’ Perceptions of Effective Classroom Assessment Feedback

Abstract

Feedback is integral to classroom assessment. Language development is maximized if teachers and students use feedback more efficiently and effectively (Brown, 2019). This study examined how primary and secondary ESL teachers use classroom assessment feedback effectively to support student learning, actively involve young language learners in the feedback process, and support young language learners in understanding and using classroom assessment feedback. Fifteen ESL teachers were recruited for this study using convenience sampling. All the teachers participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews through a web-based video conferencing platform. I developed an interview protocol, which helped to guide each interview and allowed me to ask follow-up questions as needed. The main aims of the interviews were to get information about the teachers’ classroom assessment practices, classroom assessment feedback, self-assessment practices, peer assessment practices, and strategies to help their students make sense of the feedback and make use of it. The findings suggest that teachers perceive classroom assessment feedback as a dialogic process in which teachers and students discuss the feedback to help students understand and use it. The teachers actively engaged students in the feedback process using peer and self-assessment. However, teachers must provide much support to help students understand and use the feedback effectively to promote learning. Some implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also provided.