Using Assessment for Learning: Multi-Case Studies of Three Chinese University English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers Engaging Students in Learning and Assessment.

Xiaoming (Molly) Wu,Lawrence Jun Zhang,Qian Liu

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.725132

Xiaoming (Molly) Wu, Lawrence Jun Zhang + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.725132

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Abstract

Student engagement is an important issue in learning and teaching given its positive effects on students' learning outcomes. Assessment for Learning (AfL), an assessment and pedagogic innovation, if done well, can fully engage students in the learning and assessment process. Adopting a multi-case design, the present study explored how Chinese university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers used AfL to facilitate student engagement in their classrooms and what factors influenced their AfL practices. Three EFL teachers were recruited on a voluntary basis from two universities in Northwest China. Data collected from semi-structed interviews, stimulated recall interviews, and classroom observations suggested that teacher participants demonstrated differed assessment practices, representing Assessment of Learning (AoL), convergent, and divergent AfL, respectively. Three factors: teacher assessment literacy, teachers' beliefs about the relationship between goal orientation and motivation, as well as a trusting relationship between teachers and students, were identified as contributing to teachers' different assessment practices. Our study calls for teacher educators' efforts to equip teachers with necessary assessment-related knowledge and skills, encourage teachers to negotiate learning goals with students, and help teachers establish a trusting environment in their classrooms, if AfL is to be fully embedded in classroom instruction.

Highlights

Student engagement has no doubt become an important issue in learning and teaching across different education institutions in recent decades (Kahu, 2013; Lim, 2017; Bao et al, 2021; Harris and Leeming, 2021; Rahimi and Zhang, in press)
Given there is a paucity of empirical studies of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms (c.f., Wu et al, 2021a,b), our study aims to investigate how Chinese EFL teachers use AfL to engage students in their classrooms and identify key influencing factors underpinning their AfL practices
We present the story of Zack, who were able to capture the spirit of AfL and fully engage students in assessment process

Summary

Introduction

Student engagement has no doubt become an important issue in learning and teaching across different education institutions in recent decades (Kahu, 2013; Lim, 2017; Bao et al, 2021; Harris and Leeming, 2021; Rahimi and Zhang, in press). In China, AfL has been introduced into university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in order to promote studentcentered learning, which stresses students’ agency, interest, active participation, and responsibilities (Fan et al, 2016). This indicates a paradigm shift in the EFL assessment system: Examinations used to play an important role in Chinese EFL teaching and students’ language learning is mainly assessed by in-class examinations, finals, and the high-stakes College English Test (CET), a national large-scale criterion-referenced English test (Liu and Xu, 2017; Zhang et al, 2021). Given there is a paucity of empirical studies of AfL in Chinese EFL classrooms (c.f., Wu et al, 2021a,b), our study aims to investigate how Chinese EFL teachers use AfL to engage students in their classrooms and identify key influencing factors underpinning their AfL practices

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