Title: Exploring Algerian EFL University Instructors’ Understanding and Practices of Learning-Oriented Assessment
Nor-el-Houda BOUDIBI
RELTEL LAB, Ecole Normale Supérieure El Katiba Assia
Djebar Constanitne (ENSC), Algeria
Saliha BELEULMI
Université
Frères Mentouri Constantine 1, Algeria
Abstract
The quality of assessment practices in higher education profoundly influences students’ learning experiences and academic outcomes. A recent trend gaining popularity is Learning-Oriented Assessment, which tailors assessment practices to enhance student learning. This study explores Algerian EFL University teachers’ comprehension of Learning Oriented Assessment and the extent to which their practices align with it. Through an online mixed questionnaire administered to 56 EFL teachers from different Algerian universities including Batna 2 University, M’sila University, University of Constantine 1 and Eloued University, the research uncovered a range of assessment practices. While some educators embrace some principles of Learning Oriented Assessment, others adhere to conventional assessment methods. Teachers also reported significant factors influencing their assessment choices, including class size and resource constraints. Given the recent shifts, proficiency in contemporary assessment methodologies is imperative for effective teaching and learning. By exploring how EFL instructors in Algeria view assessment, their practices, and the challenges they face, this paper highlights the need for pedagogical innovation in assessment and its practical application in the context of higher education.
Keywords:
Assessment practices, EFL university teachers, innovation, learning, learning-oriented assessment
How to Cite this Paper:
Boudibi, N., & Beleulmi, S. (2024). Exploring Algerian EFL University Instructors’ Understanding and Practices of Learning-Oriented Assessment. ATRAS Journal, 5(2), 205-219
References
Akhtar, S., Hussain, M., Afzal, M., & Gilani, S.A. (2019). The impact of teacher-student interaction on student motivation and achievement. European Academic Research, 7(2), 1201–1222.
Al Kamli. H., & Almalki, M. S. (2023). Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) Implementation in EFL Tertiary Contexts: Towards a More Task-based Learning (TBL) Environment. World Journal of English Language, 14(1), 1–1. https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v14n1p1
Alsowat. H. (2022). An investigation of Saudi EFL teachers’ perceptions of learning-oriented language assessment. European Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 10 (3),16– 32.
Ashraf, H., & Mahdinezhad, M. (2015). The role of peer-assessment versus self-assessment in promoting autonomy in language use: A case of EFL learners. Iranian Journal of Language Testing, 5(2), 110–120.
Baird, J.-A., Andrich, D., Hopfenbeck, T. N., & Stobart, G. (2017). Assessment and learning: Fields apart? Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 24(3), 317–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594x.2017.1319337
Baker, B., Polikar, S., & Homayounzadeh, M. (2021). ‘I was not thoughtful enough before’: Exploiting the learning-oriented-assessment potential of a test-taker oriented rubric for summative assessment. In A. Gebril (Ed.), Learning-oriented language assessment: Putting theory into practice (pp. 162–181). Routledge.
Beddiaf, A., & Bensafi, Z. (2018). The position of English in the workplace in Algeria: An economic-oriented perspective. Revue de Traduction et Langues 17(1), 122–133.
Benettayeb-Ouahiani. A. (2016). Assessment in the EFL university classroom: Between Tradition and Innovation. Revue Académique des Etudes Humaines et Sociale 15, 3–10.
Buckley, A. (2020). Crisis? What crisis? Interpreting student feedback on assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1846015
Butler, Y. G. (2023). Self-assessment in second language learning. Language Teaching, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444822000489
Carless, D. (2007). Learning‐oriented assessment: conceptual bases and practical implications. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703290601081332
Carless, D. (2020). From teacher transmission of information to student feedback literacy: Activating the learner role in feedback processes. Active Learning in Higher Education, 23(2), 146978742094584. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787420945845
Carless, D. (2022). Feedback for student learning in higher education. International Encyclopedia of Education (Fourth Edition), 623–629. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818630-5.14066-7
Carless, D., Joughin, G., & Liu, N. (2006). How assessment supports learning: Learning-oriented assessment in action (Vol. 1). Hong Kong University Press.
Coutts, R., Gilleard, W., & Baglin, R. (2011). Evidence for the impact of assessment on mood and motivation in first‐year students. Studies in Higher Education, 36(3), 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2010.523892
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Educational research: planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Pearson College Div.
Davies, A. (2007). Leading towards learning and achievement: The role of quality classroom assessment. In J. M. Burger, C. Webber, & P. Klinck (Eds.), Intelligent Leadership, (pp.159–182). Springer.
Derakhshan, A., & Ghiasvand, F. (2022). Demystifying Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices of learning-oriented assessment (LOA): Challenges and prospects in focus. Language Testing in Asia, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00204-2
Díaz-Vicario, A., Duran-Bellonch, M. del M., & Ion, G. (2024). Contribution of peer-feedback to the development of teamwork skills. Active Learning in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874241238758
Fazel, I., & Ali, A. M. (2022). EAP teachers’ knowledge and use of learning-oriented assessment: A cross-contextual study. System, 104, 102685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102685
Fook, C. Y. & Sidhu, G. K. (2013). Promoting transformative learning through formative assessment in higher education. AJTLHE: ASEAN Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 5(1), 1–11.
Gebril, A. (Ed.). (2021). Learning-oriented language assessment: Putting theory into practice. Routledge.
Heywood, J. (2000). Assessment in higher education: Student learning, teaching programmes and institutions. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Imsa-ard, P., & Tangkiengsirisin, S. (2023). Language assessment literacy: A preliminary survey of Thai EFL university lecturers’ language assessment knowledge, beliefs, and practices. PASAA Journal, 66, 37– 80.
Jalilzadeh, K., & Coombe, C. (2023). Constraints in employing learning-oriented assessment in EFL classrooms: teachers’ perceptions. Language Testing in Asia, 13(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-023-00222-8
Jones, N., & Saville, N. (2016). Learning-oriented assessment (Vol. 45). Cambridge University Press.
Kearney, S. P., & Perkins, T. (2014). Engaging students through assessment: The success and limitations of the ASPAL (Authentic Self and Peer Assessment for Learning) Model. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 11(3), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.53761/1.11.3.2
Leung, C. (2020). Learning-oriented assessment: more than chalk face. In M. E. Poehner & O. Inbar-Lourie (Eds.), Toward a reconceptualization of second language classroom assessment: praxis and researcher-teacher partnership (pp. 85- 106). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35081-9
Mccombs, B. L., & Miller, L. (2007). Learner-centered classroom practices and assessments: maximizing student motivation, learning and achievement. Corwin Press.
Meftah, Y. (2020). Formative feedback: A quest for a fair and transparent assessment tool. Al Turath Journal 3(10), 429– 442.
Nicol, D. (2010). From monologue to dialogue: Improving written feedback processes in mass higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(5), 501–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602931003786559
Rezai, A., Alibakhshi, G., Farokhipour, S., & Miri, M. (2021). A phenomenographic study on language assessment literacy: hearing from Iranian university teachers. Language Testing in Asia, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-021-00142-5
Salamoura, A., & Morgan, S. (2021). Learning-oriented assessment from a teachers’ perspective: Insights from teachers’ action research. In A. Gebril (Ed.), Learning-oriented language assessment: Putting theory into practice (pp. 182–206). Routledge.
Shute, V. J., & Becker, B. J. (2010). Prelude: Assessment for the 21st Century. Innovative Assessment for the 21st Century, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6530-1_1
Turner, C., & Purpura, J. (2016). Learning-oriented assessment in second and foreign language classrooms. In D. Tsagari & J. Banerjee (Eds.), Handbook of second language assessment (pp. 255–274). De Gruyter Mouton.
Wanner, T., & Palmer, E. (2018). Formative self-and peer assessment for improved student learning: the crucial factors of design, teacher participation and feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(7), 1032–1047. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1427698
Zeng, W., Huang, F., Yu, L., & Chen, S. (2018). Towards a learning-oriented assessment to improve students’ learning—a critical review of literature. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 30(3), 211–250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-018-9281-9
Copyright for all articles published in ATRAS belongs to the author. The authors also grant permission to the publisher to publish, reproduce, distribute, and transmit the articles. ATRAS publishes accepted papers under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License. Authors submitting papers for publication in ATRAS agree to apply the CC BY-NC 4.0 license to their work. For non-commercial purposes, anyone may copy, redistribute material, remix, transform, and construct material in any media or format, provided that the terms of the license are observed and the original source is properly cited.