Investigating a working model of process-oriented assessment of primary English

Abstract

The purpose of this study aims to set up a working model of process-oriented assessment system of primary English education, and also to investigate how primary school teachers of English generally perceive process-oriented assessment in school and the model suggested in the study. Taking into account the teaching and assessment context of primary English teaching and the mainstream theories on language assessment, which are relevant to classroom-based assessment, a working model of process-oriented assessment was presented. In order to conduct the research, first of all, a general perception on process-oriented assessment was investigated by means of analyzing 575 worksheets written by teachers who took the coursework of process-oriented assessment as a part of the in-service program for primary teachers conducted in the summer of 2018. After that, the teachers’ working principles and assessment practice were surveyed, and their thoughts, and opinions were analyzed from a total of 30 participants. According to the results of the study, the teachers generally believed that the working model of process-oriented assessment can operate properly considering their teaching experience and the working conditions of the primary schools. The details of the model were also investigated; based on this, the revised model was presented. However, there are still a number of issues which need to be addressed, such as: integration of teaching and assessment, balance of assessment methods, frequency of assessment, and system of reporting. Some particular areas and issues needing further investigation were identified in the last part of the study.