VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PHẠM LAN ANH AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN THREE PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN HA NOI Điều tra thực trạng giáo viên Tiếng Anh đánh giá học sinh trong quá trình học tập trên lớp tại 3 trường tiểu học ở Hà Nội A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Major: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 62140111 Hanoi, 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PHẠM LAN ANH AN INVESTIGATION INTO ENGLISH CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN THREE PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN HA NOI Điều tra thực trạng giáo viên Tiếng Anh đánh giá học sinh trong quá trình học tập trên lớp tại 3 trường tiểu học ở Hà Nội A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Major: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 62140111 Supervisor: Dr. TÔ THỊ THU HƢƠNG Hanoi, 2015 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I, the undersigned, certify my authority of the dissertation entitled ―An Investigation into English Classroom Assessment Practices in Three Primary Schools in Ha Noi‖ in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy. Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‘s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the dissertation. PHAM LAN ANH i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AFL Assessment for Learning AOL Assessment of Learning ASL Assessment as Learning AFT Assessment for Teaching AI Assessment Incident AT Assessment Task CA Classroom Assessment CBA Classroom-Based Assessment DoET Department/Division of Education and Training DYNED Dynamic Education (software) EAL English as an Additional Language EFL English as a Foreign Language EPH Education Publishing House, Vietnam ESL English as a Second Language FA Formative Assessment IRF Initiative-Responsive-Feedback L2 Second Language MOET Ministry of Education and Training NIESAC National Institute for Education Strategy and Curriculum Development OUP Oxford University Press PIP Primary Innovation Project PPP Presentation-Practice-Production PToT Trainer of Primary Teachers Ss.
Students TEYL Teaching English to Young Learners ZPD Zone of Proximal Development ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT Assessment has been one of the most heatedly debated issues worldwide. While on the global scale, classroom assessment (CA) has gained an increasing attention in educational practices and in research for decades, this type of assessment has very recently received an initial recognition in Vietnamese primary schools. The impact of CA in student learning, therefore, remains inclusive and needs further research. The study presented in this thesis was designed to seek deep insights into the CA practised by a group of primary EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers and the factors underlying such practices.
To address this complex issue, a collective case study was conducted with 8 primary EFL teachers of English in 3 schools in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews with teachers and students, and through assessment-related document/materials. The methodology was framed by a sociocultural constructivist approach that focused on 6 assessment components of CA (why, what, how, who, when, and how well to assess). The findings showed that the teachers‘CA practices were influenced by personal and contextual factors such as their beliefs of how children learn, constraints built into the curriculum, and institutional assessment requirements.
There was a complex and non-linear relationship between teaching, learning and assessment practices related to CA due to the teachers‘ internalized conceptions of CA and contextual constraints including the educational policy. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the ongoing support and encouragement of a very large number of professors, colleagues and my family. Without the endless empathy, encouragement and expertise from Dr. Tô Thị Thu Hương – my supervisor, the completion of this study would never have happened.
I would like to thank Assoc. Lê Hùng Tiến support staff and librarians at the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies who are ever so kind and helpful. A sincere appreciation goes out to the members of the special topic and the institutional panels: , Dr. Lê Văn Canh, Dr.
Hoàng Thị Xuân Hoa, Dr. Hà Thị Cẩm Tâm, Dr. Nguyễn Huy Kỷ, Dr. Duong Thu Mai, and Assoc.
Võ Đại Quang for the assistance, guidance and enduring patience. In addition, I wish to express my gratitude to my colleagues – Nguyễn Chi Lan, Nguyễn Ngọc Lan, and Nguyễn Thúy Hạnh, whose comments made this study possible. I am also grateful to David Carless, David Vale, Janet Enever, Jaynee Moon, Rebecca Hales, Laura Grassic and Sophie Ioannou Georgiou for the invaluable ideas shared with me. I would also like to thank the administrators as well as the teachers and students of the three schools involved in my study for many acts of kindness, generosity and patience.
Finally, my deep gratitude will always be with my family, my dear and supportive parents, my husband and my little children. iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. Significance of the study. Context of the study.
Aims and objectives of the study. Scope of the study. Structure of the study .9 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Types of assessment.
Formative and summative assessment. Boundary and definition of classroom assessment. Classroom assessment for young EFL learners. Characteristics of young EFL learners.
Principles of classroom assessment of young EFL learners. Components of classroom assessment. Purposes of assessment. Assessment approaches and methods.
Agents of assessment. Definitions of teachers‘ beliefs. Rationale for exploring teachers‘ beliefs. Factors shaping teachers‘ beliefs.
Previous studies on teachers‘ beliefs about CA. Approaches to explore teachers‘ beliefs. Teachers‘ classroom assessment practices. Definition of classroom assessment practices.
Previous studies on classroom assessment practices. Approaches to explore teachers‘ classroom assessment practices .38 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Rationale for the research design. Description of the three schools.
Instruments for data collection. Questionnaire and follow-up interview to select teachers in Stage 1. Focus-group interviews in Stage 2 and Stage 3. Stimulated recalls after each classroom observation session in Stages 2, 3.
Individual interviews after classroom observation process in Stage 3. Measures to reduce subjectivity and increase validity .63 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. Teachers‘ self-reported practices and beliefs. Teachers‘ beliefs about children as young language learners.
Teachers‘ beliefs about assessment. Teachers‘ classroom assessment practices. Observing a typical student work to provide feedback for the whole class. Teachers‘ marking/grading.
Approach and focus of assessment. Approach and focus of assessment as reflected in the teachers‘ lesson plans. Approach and focus of assessment as reflected in periodic and final tests. Approach and focus of assessment as reflected in daily assessment.
Agents of assessment and assessment strategies. Sharing learning goals and information on assessment with students. Eliciting student understanding. Extending student learning.
Assessment strategies reflected in evidence of student learning. Purposes of assessment .123 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Relationship between teachers‘ beliefs, practices and contextual constraints. Consistencies and discrepancies between teachers‘ beliefs and practices.
Recapitulation of the main findings. Suggestions for further studies .149 APPENDIX 1: DATA COLLECTION PROTOCOL. CLXX APPENDIX 2: DATA ANALYSIS PROTOCOL. CLXXIII APPENDIX 3: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE IN STAGE 1.
CLXXVII APPENDIX 4: ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE IN STAGE 1.CLXXXVI APPENDIX 5: FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS IN STAGE 1 .CCII APPENDIX 6: SAMPLE OF FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW. CCVII APPENDIX 7: EXAMPLE OF PROCESSING DATA FROM FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS .CCXVIII APPENDIX 8: PROCESSED DATA FROM FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS. CCXXI APPENDIX 9: SOURCES OF TEACHERS‘ BELIEFS AND VALUES. CCXXIV APPENDIX 10: EXAMPLE OF FINDINGS IN SINGLE CASE.
CCXXXII Single case analysis. CCXXXII APPENDIX 11: FINDINGS ACROSS CASES. CCXXXIV Meta-matrix for cross-case analysis. CCXXXIV APPENDIX 12: FEEDBACK PATTERNS.
CCXXXVII 9 Feedback patterns. CCXXXVII Most used feedback patterns by every single case. CCXXXIX APPENDIX 13: INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW IN STAGES 2, 3. CCXL APPENDIX 14: CHECKLIST FOR CLASSROOM OBSERVATION IN STAGES 2, 3 .LXXX APPENDIX 15: TALLY SHEET FOR CLASSROOM OBSERVATION IN STAGE 2.
LXXXII APPENDIX 16: ARTEFACTS: PERIODIC AND FINAL TESTS. XCI vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.XCVII Test BM2014. XCIX APPENDIX 17: ANALYSIS OF PERIODIC AND FINAL TESTS. CIII Periodic test evaluation.
CIII Overall evaluation of periodic and final tests. CVIII APPENDIX 18: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ALL ACTIVITIES IN 39 OBSERVED LESSONS. CIX APPENDIX 19: ARTEFACTS: SAMPLE OF A LESSON PLAN .CXVII Tacher D‘s Lesson Plan .CXVII APPENDIX 20: EXAMPLE OF TRANSCRIBED LESSON. CXX Transcription of teacher D‘s lesson: Unit 3, Grade 3.
CXX APPENDIX 21: EXAMPLE OF STIMULATED RECALL. CXXV Stimulated recall, Teacher D, Unit 3 Grade 3, Stage 2. CXXV APPENDIX 22: EXAMPLE OF PROCESSED DATA FROM RAW DATA. CXXVIII Unit 13 Lesson 2, English 3, Grade 3, Teacher B, Stage 3.
CXXXI Lesson plan. CXXXI Transcribed lesson. CXXXVII Stimulated recall.CLV APPENDIX 23: STUDENT EVIDENCE AND SAMPLES OF STUDENTS‘ WORK .CLX Workbook, Student S1B2F10 (in Teacher B2‟s class, Grade 5) .CLXIII Writing book, Student 2S2D. CLXX APPENDIX 24: EXAMPLE OF POST-OBSERVATION FEEDBACK SESSION TO STUDENTS.
CLXXVII viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1: Relationship between testing, measurement, assessment, and 13 classroom assessment LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1.1: View on relative distinctions of Formative/Summative vs. 19 AOL/AFL/AFT/ASL Table 2.1: Sources of data for the research sub-questions 43 Table 2. Brief profile of the five additional cases in Stage 3 48 Table 3.1: Common procedure: Whole-class teaching/revisiting of the content 80 as the result of checking a sample of students Table 3.2: Common procedure: Developing mental framework for future 82 remedies Table 3.3: Common procedure: Marking based on intuition 84 Table 3.4: Common procedure: Marking for managerial purpose 86 Table 3.5: Characteristics of CA practices employed by the eight teachers 128 Table 3.6: Teachers‘ purposes of assessment 132 Table 3.7: Summary of findings 136 ix LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Rationale Following the growing tendency of lowering the age of EFL learners, together with innovations in education, the field of language assessment for young learners has received an increasing attention.
Since young language learners possess special characteristics, assessing them needs to be motivational and child friendly as they have no reasons for learning a foreign language (Cameron, 2001; Hasselgreen, 2005; Mckay P. Moreover, classroom assessment practices for young learners demand a focus on the long-term learning process, rather than on the short-term outcome (Cameron, 2001; Hasselgreen, 2005; Hill & McNamara, 2011; Mckay P. This trend is parallel with the development of learning theories from Behaviourism to Sociocultural Constructivism, with the former being characterized as teacher-centeredness, surface learning, assessment of the final product of learning and a separation between teaching and assessment while the latter placing learning at the center of all educational activities and embedding assessment throughout the learning and teaching process (Cameron, 2001; Lambert & Lines, 2000; Mohamed, 2013; Popharm, 2008, Swaffield, 2008). In order to implement CA practices in the light of Sociocultural Constructivism, teachers are supposed to possess a sound knowledge base of the assessment components (Cameron, 2001; McKay S.
L, 2006; Mohamed, 2013; Rea-Dickins, 2001; Swaffield, 2008), for example, specifying assessment purposes (why to assess), identifying the focus of assessment (what to assess), selecting/designing assessment methods (how to assess), integrating teacher assessment with self- and peer-assessment (who to assess), following the assessment procedure from planning, implementing and using the collected assessment data (when to assess and in what procedure), and employing effective assessment strategies (how well to assess).