The Exploration of The Practices of Continuous Assessment by Efl Instructors: The Case of Jimma Teachers College

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Date

2009-06

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

This research is aimed at exploring the practices of continuous assessmet (CA) by English language teachers in Jimma Teachers college. It explores if the EFL instructors use CA to assess their students' English language performance. The study also explores how the instructors generally assess their students. In addition, it is also attempted to investigate what the teachers do based on the CA results. An effort is also made to explore if there are factors which hinder the practices of CA in the EFL classrooms in the college.In connection to this, the related literature was reviewed. To achieve this objective, EFL instructors in Jimma Teachers College and their 2nd and 3rd year language students participated in the study. Questionnaires were distributed to the available English teachers and to 141 (40%) of the students selected using stratified random sampling. Ten EFL instructors and nine students were also interviewed to provide information about the practices of CA by EFL instructors in the college under study. These interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. Five EFL instructors were also observed four times each while teaching in their formal English class. This was conducted to see if CA is practiced in EFL classes and to identify the CA types which are most frequently used by the English teachers. The results of this study show that most of the EFL instructors, (70%), in the college didn't always use CA to assess their students' English language performance. It is also revealed that the EFL instructors in the college were not practicing CA in their English language classes to the extent expected of them. They use only tests, mid and final exams to record the students' grade. The results of the investigation also point out that the EFL instructors didn't get adequate training on the practices of CA. It is also found out that teachers' workload, the large class they teach, their extra responsibilities and lack of adequate training are among the major factors hindering the proper practices of CA in the EFL classrooms in the college. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that the college should provide further training on CA in order to raise the instructors' awareness. Furthermore, it is recommended that the college should hire more teachers and administrative workers so that instructors' workload, trainer-trainee ratio (class size) and instructors' extra responsibilities would be minimized.

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Practices of Continuous Assessment by Efl Instructors

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