The Challenges of Implementing Continuous Oral Assessment in EFL Classes with Reference to Debre-Birhan Teachers’ College
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Date
2008-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to find out the challenges of implementing continuous oral assessment,
to assess how the perceptions of teacher-educators and student-teachers influence the current practices
of continuous oral assessment.
To conduct the study, descriptive survey method was employed. The study was conducted in Debre-
Birhan Teacher Education and Vocational Training College and the data were collected from 75
student-teachers and 10 teacher-educators of the college. Questionnaire consisting of closed and openended
questions was used as the main data gathering tool. It was substantiated with in depth and
focus group interviews. The findings of the study revealed that both the teacher - educators and
student –teachers have positive attitude towards continuous oral assessment. Surprisingly, however,
the results of the study indicated that continuous oral assessment is a neglected area of practice.
Among the factors affecting the effective implementation of continuous oral assessment; students’
linguistic background, structural constraints, absence of college level assessment policy, in
adequacies in the use of informal continuous oral assessment methods, negligence of formative
continuous assessment were found to be the major ones. Finally, recommendations were put forward
based on the major findings so as to minimize the problems affecting the effective implementation of
continuous oral assessment.
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Keywords
Continuous Oral Assessment