Teachers’ judgements of students’ foreign-language achievement

Abstract

Numerous studies have been conducted on the accuracy of teacher judgement in different educational areas such as mathematics, language arts and reading. Teacher judgement of students’ foreign-language achievement, however, has been rarely investigated. The study aimed to examine the accuracy of teacher judgement of students’ foreign-language achievement, uncover variables moderating the accuracy in a multilevel analysis and explore motivational and emotional characteristics of misjudged English learning students. Five hundred five Chinese fifth-grade students and their 16 English teachers took part in the investigation. Students completed a standardized English test and a questionnaire about motivation and emotion for English learning. Concurrently, English teachers estimated each of their students’ test performance. Teachers predicted the rank order of students’ achievement very accurately but tended to overestimate students’ level of achievement. Multilevel modelling revealed that neither students’ gender, performance level and perceived teacher treatment nor teachers’ teaching experience and level of education moderated the accuracy of teachers’ judgements. Underestimated students showed the same achievement as overestimated students but had a lower self-concept, higher anxiety and more shame about English learning. Although teachers’ judgements were fairly accurate, teachers’ underestimation of students’ achievement was associated with negative motivational and emotional characteristics of students.