Learning-oriented assessment and its effects on the perceptions and argumentative writing performance of impulsive vs. reflective learners

Abstract

Learning-oriented assessment (LOA) is becoming increasingly popular in language education. The rationale for this popularity is the belief that LOA not only provides teachers with the necessary information for regular and ongoing evaluation but also it effectively assists learners in their learning process. This study attempted to examine the effectiveness of LOA in the argumentative writing skills of reflective and impulsive EFL learners. To this end, the study explored the learners’ perceptions of LOA through a survey questionnaire. To collect data, 116 English learners at an intermediate level of proficiency participated in the study and responded to Barrat’s BIS 11 learning style questionnaire (Journal of Clinical Psychology 51:768–774, 1995). Based on their responses, the participants were divided into two groups of impulsive (N = 59) and reflective (N = 57) learners, with four missing participants. Each group was further divided into two sub-groups, in one of which pseudo-integrative argumentative writing was taught and in the other the learners were involved in learning refutation argumentative writing. Other than the type of writing, both groups were provided with regular feedback on their diagnosed writing problems and performance within 16 sessions. They were also involved in self- and peer assessment. Analysis of the results revealed that LOA significantly improved the students’ writing performance. Moreover, while the type of the writing task did not have any significant effect, the reflective learners outperformed the impulsive ones in their writing performance at the end of the treatment. The results also revealed that the leaners generally had positive perceptions about the use of the LOA approach. In particular, they acknowledged the contributions of the teacher’s feedback, peer assessment, and classroom discussion to their writing development throughout the course. However, the reflective learners showed more appreciation of the tasks when it came to developing competence and demanding critical thinking. Hence, the conclusion is that LOA can be effectively used as a learning approach to promote Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance and landscape.