TEACHERS' AND LEARNERS' PERCEPTIONS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICE IN ENHANCING LEARNING IN EFL COURSES

Ravy Nhor; Sina  Pang; Sereyrath Em

doi:10.37249/assalam.v6i2.434

Authors

Ravy Nhor School of Foreign Languages, The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sina Pang School of Foreign Languages, The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sereyrath Em University of Szeged

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37249/assalam.v6i2.434

Keywords:

Formative Assessment Practice, Teachers' and Learners' Perceptions, Enhancing Learning

Abstract

Assessment is inevitable in education. Formative assessment plays a crucial role in enhancing students' learning and performance. With the growing understanding of the role of formative assessment, many countries in the world have considered formative assessment as the primary mechanism of assessment reform in education. In Cambodia, a shift in focus to formative assessment as its assessment reform aimed at enhancing students has been noticed. The present study employed a quantitative method to examine teachers' and learners' perceptions of formative assessment practices in enhancing learning in Cambodian EFL courses. The participants of this study were 30 teachers (3 females) and 50 students ( 22 males). They are teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language. The results revealed that the respondents have a more positive perception of formative assessment. It highlighted a better understanding of formative assessment concepts, purposes, and development strategies. The results also indicated that participants' perceptions about formative assessment enhance learning in EFL courses through various roles of feedback. The results showed that respondents perceived that it is demanded of assessors or teachers to have higher knowledge about formative assessment to assess students in formative ways. Time-consuming was also perceived as a challenge in formative assessment practice. The findings also revealed that participants were more likely to use formative assessment in their EFL courses in the future. Future studies with many participants, mixed method approaches, and cross-disciplinary research in Cambodia should be conducted in either private or public HEIs.

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Author Biographies

Ravy Nhor, School of Foreign Languages, The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Ravy Nhor is a Cambodian government officer working at the Secretariat General of the Constitutional Council of Cambodia (CCC), a part-time lecturer at Phnom Penh International University (PPIU), and a part-time teacher of English at Standard Testing and Global Education Institute of Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC). His research interests include assessment practice in EFL, English language teaching (ELT), ICT in education, and English teaching methodology. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC), and a Master’s Degree of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from the University of Cambodia (UC).

Sina Pang, School of Foreign Languages, The University of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Sina Pang is currently a Director of the Academic Foundation Department at the University of Cambodia (UC), a part-time lecturer at the University of Cambodia (UC), and a Cambodian government teacher of English with a higher education degree working at Bun Rany Hun Sen Bati Upper Secondary School. His research interests include English language education at secondary school, ICT in education, and English teaching methodology. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and a Master's Degree in TEFL from The University of Cambodia (UC). Currently, he is a research student in International Education at Hiroshima University.

Sereyrath Em, University of Szeged

Sereyrath Em is Cambodian a government teacher of English with a higher education degree working at Kith Meng Brasat high school, a visiting lecturer at Chea Sim University of Kamchaymear (CSUK), a Reviewer at Forum for International Research in Education (FIRE), and an Associate Editor at the Cambodian Education Forum (CEF). Prior to this, he was a secondary school teacher of English and Khmer language working at Darakum lower-secondary school between 2012 and 2015. In 2017, he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA in TESOL) from Human Resource University (HRU), and in 2019, he graduated with a Master’ Degree in Educational Administration from National Institute of Education (NIE) with the support from Cambodia International Education Support Foundation (CIESF). He was also trained at Regional Language Center (RELC) two times between early 2020 and early 2021 with regards to teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing. His research interests include English language teaching, teaching methodology, educational management, educational leadership, learning and teaching motivation, and learning and teaching challenges. Currently, he is a PhD student in Educational Sciences at the University of Szeged, Hungary.

Email: sereyrathem.edu@gmail.com

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