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Why Should the Assessment of Literacy in Morocco Be Revisited?

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Book cover Evaluation in Foreign Language Education in the Middle East and North Africa

Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

This chapter surveys the assessment of reading and writing in Morocco. Despite the scarcity of research in these domains, some interesting findings and suggestions are analyzed. The assessment has been found to be mostly unfair and to harm students both during and after school. Also, teachers are only fairly satisfied with the types of assessment in place. In reading, the studies show that high-order questions are less frequent and that such shortage has negative effect on students’ performance in this skill. In writing, the findings of research reported in this chapter show varying degrees of inconsistencies in scoring essays. Instead, the suggestions include adding objective tests to free composition format at lower levels, adopting the analytic method, pre-determining the features to be scored (i.e., setting scales), describing the scales as clearly as possible, considering the appropriate weight for scales in accordance with the students’ level and the purpose of evaluation. Alternatively, some recommendations are put forward, such as boosting research in different areas of language education, teacher training at all levels in how to design, administer, and interpret tests’ outcomes pedagogically and statistically.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Letters and Humanities Ben Msik, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco

    Abdelmajid Bouziane

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  1. Abdelmajid Bouziane
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Correspondence to Abdelmajid Bouziane .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. English Language Institute, University of Jeddah , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Sahbi Hidri

  2. Higher Colleges of Technology , Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Christine Coombe

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Bouziane, A. (2017). Why Should the Assessment of Literacy in Morocco Be Revisited?. In: Hidri, S., Coombe, C. (eds) Evaluation in Foreign Language Education in the Middle East and North Africa. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43234-2_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43234-2_18

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-43233-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-43234-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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