Abstract
This study highlighted the humanistic-transformational perspectives via portfolio assessment which offers a conceptual framework for teaching and assessment. More specifically, it attempted toexplore the effectof portfolioassessmenton EFL learners’reading comprehension ability and motivation in the context of Iran. It adopted the quasi-experimental design comprising the pretest-treatment-posttest paradigm. To achieve the purpose, the researchers collected the triangulated data about the participants. Two classes were selected as the experimental and control groups from TabaranInstitute of Higher Education. They were 65 female university students majoring in translation. The only difference between the two groups was integrating portfolio into learning strategy-based instruction for the experimental group (portfolio-based instruction vs. non-portfolio instruction). At the post-testing stage, the both groups were retested through the reading comprehension test and the motivation questionnaire. A self-report assessment was also utilized to increase the credibility of the motivation test. The resultobtained from Mann Whitney U tests and t-testsrevealed that portfolio assessment as a constructivist strategy empowers participants’ reading comprehension and motivation.
Highlights
In the age of constructivism, the professional teachers need to employ alternative assessments in order to offer the learner’s cognitive and affective feedback
Due to the controversial results and insufficient evidence in reading comprehension classes which are of high significance in EFL classes, this study intends to explore if portfolio assessment (PA) can have a significant role in promoting Iranian EFL language learners’ motivation and reading comprehension ability
To test the null hypothesis, 65 female university students among the total number of 82 students majoring in translation was selected from two classes to participate as the informants (The number of control group was 32 and the experimental group 33)
Summary
In the age of constructivism, the professional teachers need to employ alternative assessments in order to offer the learner’s cognitive and affective feedback. According to Brown (2004), the alternative assessments such as portfolio assessment might foster humanistic and constructivist atmosphere in language learning and teaching. Portfolio assessment (PA) as a tool links teaching and assessment in the educational arena. As to PA and motivation in reading comprehension classes, Nowruzi and Nafisi (2010) maintain that PA is an effective tool in empowering the learners’ psychological and cognitive ability. Due to the controversial results and insufficient evidence in reading comprehension classes which are of high significance in EFL classes, this study intends to explore if PA can have a significant role in promoting Iranian EFL language learners’ motivation and reading comprehension ability
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