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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Keywords
Practices of Continuous Assessment by Efl Instructors