Ethicality in EFL Classroom Assessment: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice

Abstract

In recent years, the renewed focus on classroom or assessment for learning and the role it plays in gauging and supporting the learning process has entailed adopting an alternative approach to fairness that takes into consideration the open ended, dynamic nature and informality of most of these practices. The current study tackles EFL university teachers’ perception of the ethicality of various classroom assessment practices to uncover the hidden code of ethics they ideally refer to, and to determine its conformity to codes endorsed by previous research. A sample of 28 teachers from the English department at the Public Authority of Applied Education (PAAE) at Kuwait University, College of Science, was selected. A survey in the form of a fifty-item questionnaire comprising five dimensions was utilized to assess teachers’ assessment practices and their perceptions of assessment ethicality. Results imply that many areas were considered controversial for most teachers. One of these areas is using multiple forms for assessing students. Another issue is consistency between the assessment methods used and the curriculum objective and classroom activities. Equity issues also seem to be blurred for most teachers. Results of the current study testify to the value of training that is particularly focused on fair assessment and ethicality dilemma.

Appendix

Teacher’s perception and practice survey

	How often you do that			Ethicality
	U	S	N	E	SE	U
A. Preparation for assessment
1. I state how I will grade a task when I assigns it (transparency+)
2. I spend a class period to train students on test-taking skills (e.g., not spending too much time on one question, eliminating impossible answers, guessing) (consistency+)
3. To prepare students to an upcoming test, I administer a parallel form of the test. The parallel form is another version of the test; however, the items are not the same as those on the final form of the achievement test (consistency+)
4. Based on my review of a university final test framework, I create learning activities with specific questions that are included in the annual achievement test (score pollution)
5. I don’t assess students until I make sure that I comprehensively covered the material and that students possess all the skills needed (assessment for learning)
6. I tell students what materials are important to learn in preparing for a classroom assessment (score pollution)
7. To minimize guessing, I announce that I will deduct more points for a wrong answer than for leaving the answer blank (pollution)
B. Assessment development
8. I use a previously designed test without referring to the objectives of the syllabus (consistency−)
9. I assess my students’ knowledge by using many types of assessments: multiple-choice tests, essays, projects, portfolios (equity+)
10. When I develop a rubric for correcting students’ written composition I hide the information about it as highly confidential (transparency−)
11. In a reading test, I include texts that are relevant to the interests of various students’ sub-groups (equity+)
12. In a vocabulary test, I use assessment methods that students have never encountered before, for examples, drawing, giving examples, fill in a table (consistency−)
13. I make sure that the activities included in a test were quite similar to activities presented in class (consistency+)
14. I assess oral proficiency only through observing students during classroom discussion (consistency−)
15. For the final exam, I use a few surprise items about topics that were not on the study guide (consistency−)
16. If I have a blind student in my class, I design a recorded version of the test (equity+)
17. I use more than one format of the same test to prevent cheating (equity+)
18. In a vocabulary test, I put some clues in each item to help students find the answers easily (score pollution)
19. For MCQ, I try to make the correct answer longer than others to help weak students answer better (equity−)
C. Administering assessment
20. If I notice that a student has skipped a question. I stop at his/her desk and show the him/her where to record the answer he is working on (equity−)
21. While administering a test, when I notice that a student has missed a problem that he obviously knows, I stand by the student’s desk, taps my finger by the incorrect problem, shake my head, and walk on to the next desk (equity−)
22. While applying a test, I remind any student who stumbles on a question of what we learned by giving him or her a hint (equity−)
23. Upon students’ request, I would translate a difficult word that hinder students’ understanding of a reading comprehension text (equity−)
24. On a final exam, I would read all the test instruction orally with some emphasis on the key parts to help all students answer the questions easily (score pollution)
25. For a slow student, I allot extra test time even if the test time has passed (equity)
26. In a listening comprehension test, I read the text loudly to all students trying to highlight key parts by using a higher voice tone (score pollution)
27. I would allow a student with a learning disability, i.e., a blind student, to use a tape-recorder when the student answers the essay questions on a grammar test (equity+)
D. Grading and feedback
28. I lower grades for late work by one score or more for each day (score pollution)
29. I consider student effort when determining grades class (score pollution)
30. In case of teaching two or more classes, I try be less strict in grading a class whose students I believe are weaker or slower (equity−)
31. In an advanced reading class, I would assess reading based on students’ final semester grade on two multiple choice tests (consistency−)
32. For a group project, I base each student’s grade on the group’s product and a heavily weighted individual component (score pollution)
33. To encourage lively discussion in English, I count class participation as part of the final grade (multiple assessment)
34. I weigh tests heavily in determining students’ final grades compared with other methods, i.e., homework, discussion, projects, presentation (multiple assessment−)
35. I would give a student an F for the course because he/she missed the final exam (score pollution)
36. I use student’s peer assessment as a part of a final grade on an oral report (multiple assessment+)
37. I lower class grades for disruptive behavior (score pollution)
38. I would give extra scores to a student to make up for his/her underprivileged economic conditions (equity−)
39. If I know a student had a bad week because of problems at home, I would bump his/her participation grade up a few points to compensate for his bad score on a quiz (equity−)
40. If I believe that that students’ work is rarely perfect in one of classes, I would make the decision of assigning very few grades of “A” to my class (equity−)
41. I would change one student’s course grade from a B+ to an A because tests and papers showed he/she had mastered the course objectives even though he had not completed some of his homework assignments (score pollution)
42. I would offer extra credit opportunities to all the classes I teach except the advanced class (equity−)
43. I hide the identity of the students (by concealing the name) whose essay test I’m grading so I won’t identify them (equity+)
44. I use peer evaluation with reference to certain rubric to help correct writing essays quickly (assessment for learning)
E. Communication of results and feedback
45. To enhance self-esteem, I address only students’ strengths when correcting students’ writing (transparency−)
46. I spend time conferencing with each student to explain points of strength and weakness in their writing performance (assessment for learning)
47. Based on the students’ results, I would slow down my teaching pace to adapt to students’ needs (assessment for learning)
48. To motivate students to perform better, I would announce that I’m passing out scored tests to students in order of points earned, from the top score to the bottom score (confidentiality−)
49. To calm the fears of distraught parents, I would compare their child’s achievement scores with the results of the student’s cousin who is also in the class (confidential−)
50. I categorize students by labelling them to low level, high level, at risk (equity−)

1. Usually (U); sometimes (S); never (N); ethical (E); somewhat Ethical (SE); unethical (U)