Chinese teachers' conceptions of writing assessment and feedback practices in second language classrooms

Abstract

This study used a phenomenographic approach to examine Chinese teachers’ conceptions of writing assessment and feedback practices in second language classrooms where the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is adopted. The research questions are: (1) What conceptions of writing assessment are held by teachers teaching Chinese as a second language in IBDP classrooms? (2) How do teachers’ conceptions of writing assessment influence their feedback practices? The primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 22 Chinese teachers from 11 international schools in Hong Kong. Teachers’ written comments attached to marked students’ written texts were also collected and analyze to offer a snapshot of the functions that written commentary serves in second language classrooms. Four increasingly inclusive categories emerged from the interview data, showing that teachers’ conceptions of writing assessment were multi-layered. Writing assessment was conceptualized as an approach to examination preparation (Category 1) and summative evaluation of learning achievement (Category 2). It was also conducted by teachers with a view to facilitating improvement in writing performance (Category 3) and developing learner autonomy (Category 4). The second part of the study examined teachers’ feedback practices and the written comments they gave to students after writing assessment. Four different feedback practices were identified: (1) feedback is dispensable; (2) feedback is to inform students; (3) feedback is to improve learning performance; and (4) feedback is to empower students. The four feedback practices correspond respectively to each of the four conceptions of writing assessment. Changes in the focus of writing assessment led to differing feedback approaches adopted by teachers. Teachers’ written comments were analyzed through the lens of Appraisal. Appreciation constituted the largest proportion of teachers’ written feedback, and this corresponds to teachers’ perception that feedback is given to inform students of assessment results. Additionally, teachers rarely expressed personal feelings or judgements on students’ behaviors when responding to their writing. Teachers also give feedback for pedagogical purposes. Suggestion accounted for a noticeable proportion of teachers’ written feedback, aimed at offering students measures for improvement as well as raising students’ awareness of areas they need to improve. Findings of this study suggest that teachers teaching the same curriculum in similar educational contexts may possess various levels of understanding of writing assessment. It seemed to teachers that assessment is a very goal-oriented and context-dependent endeavor. Variations in conceptions of writing assessment represented the different approaches that teachers adopted to reconcile personal beliefs with contextual demands. The present study depicts a comparatively concrete picture of how exactly teachers conceptualize and conduct writing assessment as well as factors influencing teachers’ conceptions and practices. Even though the notions of assessment and feedback have been extensively discussed in the literature, practitioners’ viewpoints on these concepts remain under-researched, particularly in the field of Chinese second language education. The study helps bridge the dialogues between practice and theory, and it is hoped that such dialogues can contribute to teacher education and future research on classroom assessment.