Understanding and Implementing Learning-Oriented Assessment: Evidence From Three Chinese Junior High School EFL Teachers

Ruijin Yang; Lyn May

doi:10.1515/CJAL-2023-0210

Article

Understanding and Implementing Learning-Oriented Assessment: Evidence From Three Chinese Junior High School EFL Teachers

Ruijin Yang
Dr. Ruijin YANG is a lecturer in the School of International Studies at the Zhengzhou University, China. She obtained her PhD from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, in 2020. Her research interests include TESOL, language testing and assessment, and mixed methods research. Her recent research includes English education at the compulsory stage in China, learning-oriented assessment, peer feedback, production-oriented approach, and washback.
and Lyn May
Lyn MAY is a senior lecturer in TESOL at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Her research interests include L2 speaking assessment, interactional competence, English for academic purposes, and learning-oriented assessment.

Published/Copyright: June 8, 2023

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From the journal Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics Volume 46 Issue 2

Abstract

Assessment has had an enduring influence on teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The conceptualization and enactment of formative assessment as an integral foundation of learning-oriented assessment (LOA) has become the focus of recent studies, reflecting the mandated role of formative assessment in educational policies such as the national curriculum in China. However, it remains largely unexplored how junior high school EFL teachers in China understand and interpret formative assessment in response to policy imperatives and the enactment of learning-oriented assessment practices in classes that often focus on test preparation. To address the gap, this article reports a case study of three junior high school EFL teachers in a southwest city in China in order to explore their assessment beliefs and learning-oriented classroom assessment practices. The data collected included 15 audio-recorded classroom observations and three semi-structured audio-recorded interviews. The three teachers interpreted the concept of LOA in different ways and their classroom practices reflected these understandings. Despite working in a heavily exam-oriented context, the teachers were observed to provide contingent oral feedback to their learners, help learners develop their understanding through learner-centered tasks and interactions where learners were positioned as resources for each other through grouping and peer-assessment opportunities, and encourage learner autonomy. These findings point to ways in which LOA can be realized within exam-oriented English language learning contexts.

Keywords: English as a Foreign Language (EFL); formative assessment; learning-oriented assessment (LOA); test preparation

About the authors

Dr. Ruijin Yang

Dr. Ruijin YANG is a lecturer in the School of International Studies at the Zhengzhou University, China. She obtained her PhD from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, in 2020. Her research interests include TESOL, language testing and assessment, and mixed methods research. Her recent research includes English education at the compulsory stage in China, learning-oriented assessment, peer feedback, production-oriented approach, and washback.

Lyn May

Lyn MAY is a senior lecturer in TESOL at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Her research interests include L2 speaking assessment, interactional competence, English for academic purposes, and learning-oriented assessment.

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Published Online: 2023-06-08

Published in Print: 2023-06-27

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/CJAL-2023-0210

Keywords for this article

English as a Foreign Language (EFL); formative assessment; learning-oriented assessment (LOA); test preparation