Classroom Assessment Practices Research Articles

EFL IN-SERVICE TEACHERS’ SELF-REPORTED PERSPECTIVES ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

The purpose of the following quantitative non-experimental and cross-sectional research study is to examine in-service teachers’ perceived views, skills, and practices towards the assessment of the English language. A sample of 315 in-service Chilean teachers took part in this study and data was collected through the Classroom Assessment Practices and Skills (CAPS) scale. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyze the results. Findings indicated that in-service teachers perceived monitoring students´ learning as the purpose of assessment and agreed on the importance of diagnostic exams. Participants also considered making sure tests included all content taught and the use of assessment results for planning, as strong skills. Finally, the in-service teachers´ most frequent practices were associated with the design and feedback of assessment instruments.

Assessment for Learning: Perspectives, Beliefs and Practice of School Teachers in Vietnam

Classroom assessment has been recognized as an inseparable component of teaching. Nowadays, besides the function of measuring the level of mastering learning objectives of students, educators and researchers are paying more attention on the benefits of facilitating learning that classroom assessment can bring about. This study was conducted basing on a survey on the school teachers� perspectives, beliefs and practice of classroom assessment, particularly focusing on formative assessment strategies. The survey questionnaire was responded by over 500 primary and secondary teachers throughout the country. Assessment strategies which were investigated include: clarifying and sharing learning objectives, collecting learning evidences, giving feedback, making students to be the owners of learning. Besides descriptive statistics results, the findings show a relationship between teachers� perspectives and beliefs and their practice of classroom assessment.

The Education and Assessment System in Lithuania

ABSTRACT This article presents a historical and contemporary account of Lithuania’s national public education assessment system and its transformation since the country’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. We explore how the external examination system has developed in relation to ongoing curriculum reforms over the last 30 years, and how external examinations and standardised testing have taken priority over classroom assessment throughout this period. What becomes clear is that certain political decisions, guided by increased accountability demands, have significantly impacted classroom assessment practices, school cultures, and the mindsets of stakeholders about the role and function of assessment in Lithuania. Finally, we deploy our national and international expertise to recommend some changes to the current education system to make assessment an effective tool to improve student learning.

Teachers’ Work Environment and the Implementation of Classroom Assessment Practices in English Secondary Schools in Cameroon

The main purpose of this study is to investigate: the length of instructional time, what teachers think about the shift system of teaching and their views about online learning platforms.Data was collected through a focused group discussion for teachers from four regions of Cameroon, one focus group per region. The population of the study was selected from the different geography regional WhatsApp forums of the different regions. The population was selected purposively by show of interest by the respondent. ATLAS.ti v8.0 was used as qualitative software for the analysis.Teachers’ work environment in Cameroon is faced with two major crises, the anglophone crisis and the most recent covid 19 Pandemic. Teachers are therefore faced with the challenge of adapting to new environments different from the usual. In the face of these challenges this research investigates the influence of teachers’ work environment on the implementation of classroom assessment practices in English secondary schools in Cameroon. The results should assist the government, school owners/proprietors and all other stakeholders to manage teachers’ work environment properly. The results of the analysis from focus group discussion found out that there is a significant correlation between teachers’ work environment and the implementation of classroom assessment practices. Teachers’ appeal may be appropriate, though controversial to get the attention of the different stakeholders. Stakeholders should, however, evaluate the nature of teachers’ workspace to understand their plea (cry). Keywords : Teachers’ work environment, instructional time, online learning platform, school shift period, implementation of classroom assessment practices DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-15-04 Publication date: May 31 st 2022

Changes in classroom assessment practices during emergency remote teaching due to COVID-19

ABSTRACT This study explores the effects of the shift to emergency remote teaching on assessment practices due to COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 936 Spanish teachers from all educational levels ranging from early childhood to university participated in this nationwide survey. Four aspects were explored: (1) changes in the use of assessment instruments (e.g. exams); (2) changes in assessment criteria, standards and grading; (3) changes in the delivery of feedback and use of rubrics; and (4) changes in students’ involvement in assessment (i.e. self- and peer assessment). In general, results are mixed, with some areas undergoing certain changes with the aim of adapting to the new situation (e.g. primary education teachers lowering their grading standards), whereas many other assessment practices have remained similar, especially among higher education teachers. Unfortunately, some of the assessment practices have worsened, such as students’ involvement in assessment which has decreased.

Towards an Antiracist Classroom Formative Assessment Framework

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to theoretically explore how Hip Hop pedagogy can be utilized and implemented in K-12 classroom formative assessment practices. As a conceptual paper, there will be five sections. The first section will explore classroom formative assessment definitions and highlight theoretical frameworks used to conceptualize the pedagogical practice. The next section will begin to formulate aspects of an antiracist classroom formative assessment theoretical framework. The third section will explore how Hip Hop pedagogy can be used as an antiracist classroom formative assessment approach, while the fourth section will address considerations and objections related to such usage. The final section will end with a call to action for educational researchers, professionals, and practitioners who want to interrogate and investigate how to overcome systematic racism and oppression in our classroom assessment research and practice.

Learning progressions as a simplified model: Examining teachers' reported uses to inform classroom assessment practices

AbstractAs models of how students' thinking may change over time, learning progressions (LPs) have been considered as supports for teachers' classroom assessment practices. However, like all models, LPs provide simplified representations of complex phenomena. One key simplification is the characterization of student thinking using levels—that is, the twin assumptions that student thinking is both coherent and consistent. While useful for the design of standards and curricula, the LP level simplification may threaten the basic premise that LPs could be used to diagnose a student's level and then provide tailored instruction in response. At the same time, our work with teachers suggests that, even with their simplifications, LPs may be useful in the classroom. Thus, rather than abandoning LPs, we sought to understand their potential affordances by exploring how teachers learn from LPs (knowledge‐for‐practice) and contribute to deeper understanding of LP use (knowledge‐of‐practice) as they identify and enact uses of these tools. To do so, we engaged high school physics teachers in a 2‐year, LP‐based professional development program. Based on qualitative analyses of planning meetings and interviews with the teachers, we describe how teachers used LPs to support classroom assessment with varying reliance on the LP level simplification. Although teachers used LPs in ways that relied on the coherence and consistency assumptions of the LP level simplification, uses of LPs that did not require these assumptions were more prevalent both within and across teachers. This study's findings have implications for research, teacher professional development, and the design of LPs.

Ethiopian Secondary School EFL Teachers’ Classroom Assessment Conceptions and Practices from an Activity Theory Perspectives

Teachers’ language assessment conceptions play a vital role in the effectiveness of classroom assessment practices. Drawing on activity theory perspectives, the researchers intended to present a picture of English language teachers’ classroom assessment/testing conceptions and how their conceptions reflect their practices. To this end, 15 English language teachers whose teaching experience is more than three years were purposely selected for interview. The obtained data were coded, categorized into themes, and analysed qualitatively. The results indicated teachers’ assessment conceptions reflect that students and schools are highly accountable for English language classroom assessment. Teachers’ classroom assessment practices do not reflect their assessment conceptions as they use summative oriented assessment tools, and the activity system is dominated by teachers themselves.

Factors associated with Chinese undergraduates’ perceptions of the ethical issues in classroom assessment practices—a mixed methods study

Factors associated with Chinese undergraduates’ perceptions of the ethical issues in classroom assessment practices—a mixed methods study

Classroom Assessment Practices in Malaysian Primary Schools: A Meta-Analysis

One of the assessment processes used by teachers to help students improve is classroom assessment. Teachers will determine the extent to which students comprehend the topic of learning through classroom assessment. However, issuing implementation instructions in a short period might lead to a range of problems. As a result, the challenges, methodology, and conclusions of prior research on classroom assessment practise in Malaysian primary schools are examined in this paper. This study uses a meta-analysis design and a secondary study form to identify, explore, and interpret all relevant studies related to a topic domain. The review will only include studies conducted between 2020 and 2021 due to a recent change in assessment practices in Malaysian primary schools. A single database, Google Scholar, was used to find relevant literature and keywords were used to find the article. The three criteria used to select articles for analysis were researched on classroom assessment, data collection, and research completed within the last two years. Finally, 12 articles were chosen for meta-analysis based on a review of the literature. There are five qualitative studies and seven quantitative studies included. The findings revealed inconsistencies in Malaysian primary school teachers' reports about their readiness to understand classroom assessment. Previous research on Malaysian classroom assessment practices, on the other hand, used credible methodologies because each study examined a different aspect of the subject. In the future, researchers should concentrate their efforts on developing an instrument that meets validity and reliability criteria, resulting in more reliable data.

DIGITAL TEACHER FEEDBACK AS A TRANSLATION ASSESSMENT TOOL

This paper analyses the opportunities of digital feedback delivery, its use in the translation classroom, and its application as the tool of active instruction and formative assessment at university level. A mixed research design involved 33 third-year students of Poltava University of Economics and Trade majoring in Translation. They participated in the study voluntarily in the spring term of 2019/2020 academic year. The effectiveness of the digital teacher feedback of different modality was estimated with the help of a questionnaire from two perspectives: students’ behavioral engagement associated with feedback convenience in use for translation revisions and their affective engagement concerning emotional saturation of the suggested type of digital feedback. Students’ preferences were collated with their results in leading sensory channel test and acquired translation competency level. According to the received data, overwhelming 69.7% of undergraduate translators appeared to be digitals as per their leading sensory channel, which had no statistically significant impact on the preferred feedback modality inversely to students’ translation competency level. The observed correlation proved the viability of both suggested digital feedback modalities at different stages of the training process. It was concluded that digital teacher feedback promotes the development of the students’ translation skills in particular and leverages formative assessment practices in the translation classroom in general.

Art and Design Assessment and Feedback Practices in the Online Classroom in Higher Education

Art and Design Assessment and Feedback Practices in the Online Classroom in Higher Education

Syntactic Complexity Measures as Indicators of Teaching L2 Academic English Writing

The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of reforming academic English writing instruction via the perspective of the syntactic complexity of L2 learners' practice. The present study evaluates 14 measures of syntactic complexity as indicators of language growth in academic writing by 52 Chinese undergraduate students. The findings indicate that an intensive academic teaching design can be used to help students enhance their academic writing output ability. The findings of this study provide direct quantitative evidence for altering classroom instruction, textbook compilation, assessment practice, and curriculum development at the undergraduate level for academic English.

Unlocking the potential of STEAM education: How exemplary teachers navigate assessment challenges

While integrated STEAM education has been shown to support the cultivation of critical global competencies, teachers have identified classroom assessment as a key barrier to facilitating integrated learning. This research investigated how exemplary teachers navigated classroom assessment challenges and practices within integrated STEAM education contexts. Employing an in-depth qualitative design, this study drew on data from interviews with 14 exemplary STEAM teachers and assessment artifacts (e.g., assessments, resources, lesson/unit plans). Through an inductive analysis, synergies and tensions within three overarching themes were identified: planning for assessment, formative assessment, and grading/evaluation. Teachers’ planning practice was characterized by a focus on key learning skills as well as divergent opinions regarding a backwards design approach. Central to teachers’ STEAM education practice, formative assessment was used to drive the iterative design cycle. When grading, teachers relied on their professional judgment and supported student self-advocacy. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Exploring Formative Assessment and Co-Regulation in Kindergarten Through Interviews and Direct Observation

Formative assessment practices have been theoretically connected to the development of self-regulation with mounting empirical evidence. Co-regulation is the process whereby a more capable individual (e.g., teacher or peer) attunes the behaviours, emotions, or cognitive processes of an individual (a student) to align with goals or expectations and is being recognized as a strategy for developing self-regulation. Formative assessment practices may facilitate co-regulation, however, much of the literature has focused on older student populations. This phenomenological study explored the relationship between formative assessment and co-regulation in eight Kindergarten classrooms. Eight Kindergarten teachers and four Early Childhood Educators (ECE) completed semi-structured interviews in 2019 during two time periods with each participant completing two interviews. To supplement the interviews, 56 h of classroom observations were completed in each classroom, totaling 448 h of observations across eight classrooms. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Four themes emerged: 1) Authentic assessment and self-regulation practices, 2) Feedback as foundational, 3) Formative assessment and co-regulation have shared purposes, and 4) Connections between classroom assessment and co-regulation. Participants described their classroom assessment and self-regulation practices as authentic and natural for students while also providing examples of their interactions with students as a form of co-regulation. Feedback was articulated as foundational to both classroom assessment and co-regulation. Participants illustrated examples of feedback from peers (including through modified peer-assessment). Shared purposes between formative assessment and co-regulation placed students at the centre of the learning process, encouraging agentic behaviours, and scaffolding student thinking. The final theme underlined the need to broaden conceptualizations of assessment in Kindergarten. Findings suggested student agency as the bridge between classroom assessment and co-regulation, and a bidirectional, mutually supportive, relationship between formative assessment and co-regulation.

An Analysis of Education Reforms and Assessment in the Core Subjects Using an Adapted Maslow’s Hierarchy: Pre and Post COVID-19

Through the lens of an adapted Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I have analyzed (1) the impact of the three main educational reforms of the 20th and 21st centuries on culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD)and low-socioeconomic (SES)students in the core subjects up to the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) the efficacy of current classroom assessment practices, and (3) a brief reimagining of how changing equity standards in teaching and assessment post-COVID-19 could aid in CLD and low-SES students achieving a higher self-esteem level. I contend that student success, or self-esteem, can only be achieved by first satisfying the needs at the lower hierarchy levels. By analyzing CLD and SES students’ school experiences, educators and policy-makers can extrapolate the requirements for inclusive, rigorous, and responsive assessments that recognize students’ needs and utilize their cultural and linguistic diversity. As states begin the shift from remote learning back to face-to-face in the fall, more significant considerations of CLD and low-SES students must be ensured.

Generative Unit Assessment: Authenticity in Mathematics Classroom Assessment Practices

In our pursuit to broaden and deepen understandings of what it means to engage in an assessment activity, we explored the designing and implementing of a geometry performance task as an instantiation of authentic assessment to assess elementary school students’ mathematics learning. Using participatory action research, we incorporated a performance task as an end-of-unit assessment with grade 4/5 students. We found that the authenticity within what we are calling a generative unit assessment, is understood as a process that is dynamic in contrast to conventional unit tests. We established an innovative assessment practice that emerged from the student and teacher data and is illustrated through four features applicable to any content area. Through collaborative discussions and the ensuing creation of a generative unit assessment, we found spaces to authentically understand ontological growth and continual learning through assessment.

Pedagogy, Language Development and Assessment Practices in a Middle School Social Studies Dual-Language Classroom

Pedagogy, Language Development and Assessment Practices in a Middle School Social Studies Dual-Language Classroom

Diagnostic Test to Assess Misconceptions on Photosynthesis and Plant Respiration: Is It Valid and Reliable?

High percentage of secondary school students was found that they were lack of understanding of the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration in plants. They did not fully understand the importance and function about plant respiration. Thus, this study designed to develop a valid and reliable instrument in two- tier multiple choice questions format which called Photosynthesis and Plant Respiration Diagnostic Test (PRDT) to assess the common types of misconceptions related to this topic among form four students (Grade 10) in Malaysia. Survey research method was applied in this study. There were 500 participants from 15 secondary schools were involved. 45 minutes were given to the participants in answering 18 two- tier diagnostic test items. The psychometric properties of the instrument had been tested using Rasch analysis. The result found that the newly developed instrument was valid and reliable. It brought the significant contribution in teaching and learning, especially classroom assessment practice in Biology subject.

Assessment and feedback practices in the EFL classroom

This study explored the implementation of Language classroom assessment and feedback within the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. This research was conducted using a qualitative research design and the obtained data were analyzed descriptively. Data were collected by conducting direct classroom observation using observation checklists and in-depth interviews with the three professional English instructors using an observation guide. The data were transcribed and coded according to their categories. The findings of the study indicated that the students learning progress were assessed through a short question-answer and completion test. Verbal feedback merely provided by the teachers, and feedback was given only occasionally. The teacher hardly provided any follow-up action in order to modify their way of teaching. Consequently, there was a slow, gradual improvement of the students' learning achievement. Therefore, teachers were recommended to utilize various classroom language assessments to assess the students' learning. The teachers should provide both verbal and written feedback for their students to enhance the students' achievement continually.