Action research on influence of portfolio assessment on students' attitudes and teacher's beliefs in the Armenian EFL context

Abstract

This mixed-method action research examined the influence of portfolio assessment on students' opinions, attitudes, and overall learning process and discovered the teacher's beliefs and attitudes towards it. The research was conducted at a local language center that provides English language lessons to students of different ages. One group of students and one teacher were selected to participate in the study. The teacher implemented portfolio assessment in the EFL classroom. The current action research was conducted in two cycles: the first one involved writing and vocabulary portfolios and the second one included a speaking portfolio. The data were obtained through two student surveys, two teacher interviews, and continuous researcher observations; students’ works included in portfolios were also used as a data collection source. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using thematic coding. The data was demonstrated with the help of qualitative and quantitative tables and figures. The study results reveal that the majority of students demonstrated positive attitudes toward portfolio practice and the learning process. Portfolios helped them develop responsibility for their learning, improve their writing and speaking skills, and enlarge their vocabulary bank. Although the two boys expressed reluctant attitudes towards portfolio practice and the general EFL learning process, the researcher's observations and teacher interviews indicate better and more functional performance for the whole group. In addition, the teacher also changed her doubting attitude towards portfolio assessment and became more patient with continuous formative assessment tasks. Overall, portfolios demonstrated a beneficial influence on students’ attitudes and the teacher’s beliefs.