2018 Annual Conference of China English Language Education Association (CELEA2018)

224 / 2018-05-14 02:28:06

The Impact of Formative Assessment on Young English Learners' Motivation and Achievement in China

Formative Assessment, Young Learners, Motivation, Achievement

Plenary track > 中国特色英语测评研究

Formative assessment (FA) has been a popular topic of study in education since the 1990s. My concern lies in the use and the impact of FA in English language learning in primary schools in China. In that context, this study seeks to identify and scrutinise effective FA strategies that can motivate learners and improve their achievement. The FA strategies in my study include sharing learning aims, feedback, questioning, peer-assessment and self-assessment.

Mixed methods were used. Data were gathered via quantitative questionnaires for learners exploring motivation, use of FA and attitudes towards FA; quantitative English language quizzes to measure student achievement during the fieldwork; and qualitative interviews with teachers and students regarding their perceptions of FA. Two teachers and 196 11-year-old students from Jiangsu Province in China took part in the study for two and a half months.

The results showed that FA, as a concept and practice developed in the UK and now widely endorsed across many western countries, is an adaptable and useful means of assessing students in primary school English language classes in Jiangsu Province, especially to girls with lower achievement. The FA strategies have valuable application in this context notwithstanding the prevailing exam-oriented education culture in China.