AN EXPPLORATORY STUDY OF TEACHER'S ASSESSMENTS OF project work

Abstract

The overall purpose of this research was to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) middle school teachers’ understanding of the purpose and value of assessment within project work, determine the way they assess their pupils’ project work and identify the reasons that led them to their actual assessment practices. This study takes the form of an exploratory descriptive investigation using a case study to collect data on the population of EFL Middle School teachers in the city of Batna during the 2007-2008 school year (N=399).In the first phase, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 169 sample teachers selected from the population. In the second phase, qualitative data were generated by in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of 12 teachers. In addition to that, documentary analysis was used as another tool for investigation. Among the documents that were reviewed were a collection of some pupils’ project work samples, teachers’ training books and the official documents sent by the Ministry of Education concerning Middle School Syllabi. This dissertation starts with an introductory chapter in which the researcher states the problem under investigation with the provision of the research questions and hypothesis. The aims, significance and limitations of the study are then highlighted. This chapter ends with a description of the population, the sample and the methodology adopted in this study. Part One offers an in depth discussion on the teaching of English as a foreign language in Algeria, the implementation of project work as a new method of assessment and some of the main factors that may hinder the use of formative assessment within project work. It comprises three chapters. Part Two is devoted to the field work and sets out the findings from data used in this study. Additionally, some useful implications and suggestions are proposed based on the research findings in order to help teachers implement assessment for learning more effectively. Results revealed that most EFL teachers involved in this study do understand the purpose and value of assessment within project work but still rely on summative assessment and tend to assess quantity of work rather than the quality of learning. This study also revealed the practical difficulties teachers faced in using formative assessment to feedback children’s learning. Among these are: class and time management, insufficient training, lack of professional development and resistance to change.