How does an action research examine the effectiveness of self-assessment on English writing among primary school students : a case study in Hong Kong?

Abstract

This paper reports on a study that investigated student learning to self-assess writing performance in English by action research. It has three aims: to investigate student’s perspective of self-assessment; to check whether the theoretical and practical issues associated with self-assessment; and to explore how self-assessment could help to improve student learning.

An English teacher was involved in the study. Not only did she act as an internal participant, but she was also a researcher and an external observer. Six Hong Kong primary five students from the same mixed ability class participated in the study. The participants had to complete three writing tasks within three action cycles. Those six students were asked for attending two interviews. The first interview was to evaluate students’ understanding of the topic concerned. It was held before the first action cycle started. The other one was carried out after all the three cycles finished. It aimed to explore students’ perspective of self-assessment. All interviews were audio-recorded and subsequently analyzed in terms of objects of learning and assessment.

Action research was adopted in this present study. It encouraged the researcher to experiment through identifying the general idea, reconnaissance, constructing the general plan and developing the next action steps. During this process, original plans were amended frequently by the researcher for echoing the findings of the pre-interviews and the performance of students in the English writing lessons. Moreover, assessment criteria were set by the students according to their learning abilities and English standards. The criteria included two elements: Language and Content.

Before the action cycles started, the pre-interview was taken place. It was an important step because the findings of the pre-interviews provided concrete and specific data for describing how students’ views towards the implementation of self-assessment. According to the findings, the teacher needed to revise her plans of the first action cycle so as to carry out the first action cycle smoothly.

Each action cycle of the implementation of self-assessment included training, observation, evaluation, discussion, feedback, and response, including one-lesson of training and 6 weeks of three-cycle assessment. In the first action cycle, the teacher still dominated in the lessons in order to lead her students on the right track at the very beginning of their learning journey. With the increasing familiarity with modes of self-assessment, the teacher gave the students a free hand in the second and third cycles. After that, the post-interviews were held.

The study has three main findings. First, there is a change of student learning towards English writing. After the implementation of self-assessment, they found that it was challenging and they engaged in English writing. Therefore, they were motivated in their learning journey. Second, since students experienced the positive feeling of achievement, their learning attitudes became more positive. Third, self-directed learning skills and generic skills were developed during the implementation of self-assessment.

The study concludes that in order for students to enhance learning, the teacher should give students a free hand for exploring around themselves. Teachers should not overestimate students’ abilities, on the other hand, students should not underestimate their potential. Self-assessment is an appropriate mode to assess students’ performance.