Жолдабаева Алия Садуовна-старший
преподаватель английского языка, Кафедра иностранных языков
Павлодарский Государственный
Педагогический Институт
Республика Казахстан
To what extent Formative Assessment may
facilitate students' success in
language learning in the context of Pavlodar State Pedagogical Institute?
Examinations,
tests and assessments become an integral part of the lives of modern people.
Children in Kazakhstan have their first tests before entering the 1st grade,
and until finishing the 11th grade they have to take a huge variety of exams.
At the end of the 11th grade all pupils in all schools of Kazakhstan pass the
Unified National Testing (UNT) in order to demonstrate their achievements and
get a high school diploma. The results of this testing are charged as an
entrance exam to the institutes and universities in Kazakhstan. Each institute
and university set their entrance score and provide the students with high
scores with scholarships. Teaching, learning and assessing are closely related
processes which demand involving both students and teachers into the process of
assessment (Black & Wiliam,1998). The supportive teacher's feedback and
correct students' reaction may positively affect the ultimate attainment.
According to Green (2014,
p.5), the term language assessment can be defined as assessment that
"involves obtaining evidence to inform inferences about person's
language-related knowledge, skills or abilities". Thus, a person should
possess knowledge of a particular language, should have language abilities and
demonstrate appropriate skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking
on that language. It is not enough to have knowledge of grammar or lexis of
some language, but more important to be able to use this language knowledge in
communication or in academic context. Green (2014) claims, that in language
education teachers pay rather little attention to the assessment. Both teachers
and students are more worried about final examinations and their results.
However, the success or failure of final exams may depend on assessment, which
students get during the learning process.
In the terms of modern
life the use of language assessment is important in education, employment and
career, international mobility and economy (Fulcher, 2010). Language testing
may be defined as a tool which allows people to achieve their put goals.
Therefore, language assessment may have different goals such as entering the
foreign university, getting a position in an international company either at
home or abroad, travelling or moving to another country. All these tasks may be
achieved with only one condition - successful passing of the language testing.
The purpose of language assessment is defined depending on: a) learning of
languages- with assessment of the degree of progress towards a learning aim; b)
proficiency assessment- language ability of a person to satisfy the definite
standards. For instance, international students should demonstrate an
appropriate level of the English language to be able to study in British
universities. The main purpose which these students must achieve is to get a
definite score on IELTS, TEEP or other language testing used in entrance
procedure in all British universities. The required score which international
students should have 6.5 or 7.0 in accordance with IELTS.
Fulcher (2010) points out
five different purposes of language assessment: 1) achievement; 2) aptitude; 3)
diagnosis; 4) placement; 5) proficiency. First four purposes relate to learning
of languages, the fifth purpose relates to proficiency assessment. As noticed
by Fautley and Savage (2008, p.4), "good assessment practice is a key
feature of effective teaching and learning in schools". As mentioned
earlier teaching, learning and assessing are closely interrelated to each
other. If a teacher will focus not only on instruction but also spend enough
time for proper assessment of students, it may be beneficial both for teachers
and students. The traditional way of teaching and assessing was presented by
Fulcher (2010):│ Teaching→ Test │Teaching→ Test│
Teaching→ Test│. This model reflects of work of many teachers in
many countries, when the teacher teaches some theme or material, and then gives
a test to their students to see how well they have understood this theme and what
score they have received. After getting a score on that theme/topic, the
teacher gives another portion of new material and a test after it. Thus, this
model of teaching is like a chain, where the elements of teaching and testing change each other all
the time (Fulcher, 2010). It should be noticed that this model is usually used
on classes of English for non-language specialities in Pavlodar State
Pedagogical Institute (hereinafter PSPI). Furthermore, teaching-testing model
is sometimes applied for students of first courses of language specialities in
order to improve their language skills. Having read some book chapters and
journal articles and having had the Language Testing Principles module, I have
realised that this model is not so useful and helpful in improving Pavlodar
students' skills. The issue of an
appropriate and more helpful approach for improving Pavlodar students' language
learning skills, as well as teachers' methods will be discussed later in this
essay.
Fautley and Savage (2008,
p.7) identify students as "empty vessels" and teachers as persons who
should "pour in" these vessels with knowledge. The function of
assessment is to indicate how well the students understand and absorb the
knowledge which teachers give them. There are available assessment instruments
such as: grammar-lexis tests, quizzes, projects, portfolios and presentations.
All these instruments may be used in assessing students' knowledge. Some of
them, grammar-lexis tests or quizzes for instance, are used during the lesson,
while preparing the projects or presentations may be a part of a given
homework. As for portfolios, they usually contain the results both of class and home works.
The significant role in
classroom assessment belongs to feedback. The full and detailed feedback which
is given in time may benefit the improving of students' knowledge. Irons (2008,
p.7) gives such definition to formative feedback: "Formative feedback is
any information, process or activity which affords or accelerates student
learning based on comments relating either formative assessment or summative
assessment". Thus, any students' activity should not be only appropriately
assessed, but also should be provided with a sufficient and detailed feedback.
The role of students is also should be active in this feedback, i.e. they can
ask questions, think about teacher's comments and, if necessary, they can
discuss their work either with a teacher or with peers, reflecting on how to
achieve the improvement (Fautley & Savage, 2008). In accordance with Black
and Wiliam (1998), feedback is a key
element of formative assessment, but the issue of formative assessment will be
discussed in the next section of this essay. Appropriate use of a feedback may
increase students' learning. Feedback may be provided not only by teachers or
tutors, but also by peers or feedback may be a part of a self-assessment
(Irons, 2008). Therefore, the role of the feedback is to reduce the gap between
present and required levels of knowledge. Feedback should be presented in an
intelligible way to allow the students to use this feedback correctly and
appropriately in order to encourage them to learn and achieve the goals (Irons,
2008).
In concluding words of
this section it should be summed up that teachers should put the definite goals
when assessing their students, i.e. not only give the marks and scores, but
also do right inferences in order to do the modifications in the instruction
for better students' learning.
Formative vs Summative Assessment.
Carroll (1968, p.46)
gives the following definition to the notion test "a psychological or
educational test is a procedure
designed to elicit certain behaviour from which one can make inferences about
certain characteristics of an individual". As for the notion assessment,
it refers to the common process of learners' progress. In accordance with functions, assessment may
be either formative or summative. Formative and Summative assessments are the
two opposite sides of one part which have the common aim to assess learners'
activities. However, some scholars suppose that formative and summative
assessments are not the two opposites, but the two complementary processes. As
mentioned in introduction of this essay the main focus is on formative
assessment.
FA and Assessment for Learning (AfL)
The term formative
assessment was firstly used by Scriven in 1967, who suggested the concepts of
formative and summative evaluation (Gardner, 2006). It should be noticed that
formative assessment continues to be widely used in educational system nowadays.
In 1990s such term as Assessment for Learning began to use in education. Such definition was given to the notion AfL "Assessment for learning is a
process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their
teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to
go and how best to get there" (ARG, 2002). Assessment for learning may be
defined as a type of formative assessment which requires active learners'
participation in the learning process. AfL
plays the most powerful role in the improvement of learning (ARG, 2002).
Formative Assessment and Assessment for learning is a continuous process of
gathering and analysing information in order to develop an understanding of
what students know, understand and can do. The main purpose of formative
assessment is to help teachers monitor their students' progress in order to
improve their learning. Formative assessment also helps students to monitor
their own progress. Teachers and students should be actively involved in
formative assessment, because formative assessment which is used right and
appropriately may help to raise tests' and examinations' results and enhance
the learners' achievements (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Clarke, 2005; Clarke,
2008; Fautley & Savage, 2008; Torrance & Pryor, 1998).
According to Torrance and
Pryor (1998, p.8), "formative assessment is generally defined as taking
place during a course with the express purpose of improving pupil
learning". Feedback, given by teachers as a part of formative assessment,
helps students to become aware of any gaps that exist between their goal and
their present knowledge and right understanding and using of the teachers'
comments may lead students to their goal's achievement (Sadler, 1989). The most
helpful type of feedback on tests and home work provides useful teachers'
comments about errors and also provides specific recommendations to improve
students' knowledge. Teachers should encourage their students to focus
thoughtfully on the task itself rather than on the right answer (Elawar &
Corno, 1989).
SA and Assessment
of Learning (AoL)
Summative assessment's
role is to sum up learners' attainment at the end of the term, semester or
academic year. Usually a grade or a mark is given in summative assessment.
Summative assessment looks back, it is a result of some past achievements,
whereas formative assessment looks forward, it is the assessment which directed
to future achievements (Fautley & Savage, 2008). It should be noticed that
summative assessment is paid much more attention by teachers in Kazakhstan.
Teachers more concern about final results of their students, because education
is not an independent sphere of life, but part of the politics to some degree.
For instance, I mentioned the Unified
National Testing (UNT) in the introduction of this essay, which is a state
matter, because all school leavers must pass this exam in order to get a high
school diploma. Headmasters and teachers of every school in a town or in a
village in Kazakhstan are highly interested in good results of their pupils,
because on these results their further career may depend on. Headmasters of
schools, where the pupils receive very low scores may be fired. Ministry of
Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan conducts the rating system of the
regions of Kazakhstan, whose pupils get the highest and lowest scores. Thus, my
native Pavlodar region holds the second and third positions for many years
among 14 regions of our country. Pupils of schools in the Southern Kazakhstan
receive the lowest scores for several years, and as a result some headmasters
of schools in the Southern Kazakhstan were fired. Therefore, the summative
assessment continues to play a crucial role in the educational system of
Kazakhstan.
In
the concluding words of this section it should be said that the main purpose of
summative assessment is to allocate grades. If the main goal of formative
assessment is to improve students' knowledge, the main goal of summative
assessment is to prove this knowledge.
The appropriate
approach for fostering teaching and learning in the context of Pavlodar State Pedagogical Institute
As mentioned in section
3.2, in Kazakhstan more attention is paid to summative assessment as a
consequence of educational ideology's influence. Teachers and students in PSPI
also more concern about the final results (SA), than the current progress (FA).
However, FA may directly affect the successful passing of final exams. The most
appropriate and effective methods of formative assessment which I am going to
use in my practice will be: 1) portfolios; 2) group presentations; 3)
assignments. Activities such as projects, practical exercises, tests and
observation are successfully used in our institute. Portfolios, group
presentations and assignments are quite new for our students and teachers, and
may benefit teaching and learning to a considerable degree. Portfolios can be
used for stimulus of students' work and encouragement of a dialogue between a
teacher and a student. Irons (2008) claims that development of students'
portfolios allows teachers and students participate in formative assessment. As
for the group presentations, they may help to facilitate contact between
students and may benefit in peer-assessment. Group presentations help students
to work together, to be responsible, to be organized and to help each other in
the work. It should be noticed that I used individual presentations on my
classes, but group presentations may be more helpful for fostering learning.
Assignments are the activities which demand much time and effort. Students
should produce the definite number of drafts in order to achieve the goal, and
teachers should provide students with a detailed feedback in order to improve
their learning. Thereby, some activities of formative assessment such as
portfolios, group presentations and assignments may be applied in the context
of PSPI for fostering both teaching and learning.
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