35 / 2021-05-26 22:15:15

Learning Oriented Assessment from a student perspective: Opportunities and challenges in a high-stakes test preparation context

Learning Oriented Assessment; Senior High School Entrance English Test; test preparation

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the test preparation for the grammar and vocabulary tasks in the Senior High School Entrance English Test can achieve the student-centred goal mandated in the national curriculum. Taking Grade 9 students as subjects, this qualitative study employed the principles of Learning Oriented Assessment (LOA) and collected data from classroom observations (N = 15) as well as semi-structured focus groups (N = 18). Observation data identified key practices of LOA during test preparation: interactive classroom activities, feedback, mentor-apprentice pairs, learner autonomy, and self-assessment. Focus groups showed that the test enabled LOA opportunities during test preparation because of its instrumental test function, creating useful language use context and developing language learning abilities. However, the difficulties in implementing LOA principles during test preparation involved students’ differing language proficiency levels, time consideration, and the negative power of the test. The study thus implicated that to promote positive washback during test preparation, grammar and vocabulary tasks in the SHSEET need improvement and effective LOA training could be provided to Grade 9 teachers. As  LOA is an under-researched area, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of probing the learning-oriented potential of high-stakes EFL tests.