Paper presented at CAMTESOL International Conference (March 2015) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hidden Curriculum in Authentic Assessment:
Investigating EFL Teachers’ Awareness and Readiness in Bali
By:
Luh Putu Artini
Abstract
This paper is written in an attempt to describe how assessment procedures can train students to be reflective, responsible to own learning, and develop independent learning. An investigation on teachers’ awareness of this hidden curriculum and their readiness for the implementation of authentic assessment in EFL classes was conducted to 32 English teachers from 32 junior high schools in Bali. The data were collected through document (lesson plan) analysis, interview with teachers and classroom observation. The findings reveal that the majority of teachers were aware of the content of hidden curriculum in authentic assessment procedures. However, the data show low level of readiness on the part of the teacher in the implementation of authentic assessment. The problems encountered by the teachers refer to lack of experience in developing assessment instruments and the absence of a good assessment model for the teacher to refer to in developing the instruments.
Keywords: hidden curriculum, authentic assessment, teachers’ awareness, teachers’ readiness
INTRODUCTION
Teaching is generally defined as learning experiences that are facilitated by a human being (Smith & Ragan, 2005). In the context of schooling, the human beings refer to the teacher whose teaching job requires the degree of professionalism. According to the guidelines of Indonesian latest Curriculum (2013), teacher’s professionalism covers four competencies: professional, pedagogical, social and personal. Professional competencies refer to expertise in the subject area that a teacher teaches; pedagogical is to do with competencies in planning, developing and implementing methods and strategies for conducting effective teaching and learning process; social is related to abilities to communicate, socialize and interact positively and effectively to students, school staff and community; and finally personal competence refers to commitment, dedication and personalities that support successful performances as a teacher.
In the context of English as a foreign language (hereafter, EFL) teaching and learning, a teacher has the most influential roles to the success of learning. According to McKeachie (1998), a teacher is an expert who has the mastery or has good proficiency in English; a formal authority who has the rights to decide on what and how classroom activities are run or managed; social agent who has communication strategies that encourage or motivate students to do their best; facilitator who provide tools, facilities and media for optimum learning; and ego ideal who guides students to be aware of what they can do in the future with what they have learnt at school. In addition to the factor of the teacher, Naiman et al. (1996) suggest that success in EFL teaching and learning is also influenced by the quality of input or students (who are different in many factors such as motivation, aptitude, attitude, personality and cognitive styles); content (which covers curriculum, syllabus, resources), and context (which refers to the status of the target language and environment supports). It is then not hard to understand that teaching profession (in this case EFL teaching) is very complex. Teachers, students, content and context come into play to determine successful output and outcome.
From student perspective, Strevens (1977) in Skehan (1991) suggests two major factors that contribute to learning outcomes; first, those which are innate (which to do with learner’s characteristics) and second, those which are internalized after participating in learning experiences either inside or outside the school (i.e. related to the ‘manageability of his learning’). Strevens describes the first factor as learner’s static qualities since the teacher can generally do very little about them. On the other hand, the second factor is affected by teachers’ methods and strategies in teaching. This second factor is known as dynamic qualities.
Dynamic qualities refer to personal development in the learning that are caused by the external factors, such as teachers’ teaching methods and strategies. The development comprises the variables of personal learning rate (i.e. learning speed) that is different from one individual to the others); learning styles and learning strategies, which also influenced by learning experiences where the teacher has some contribution; minimum success-need relates to the learner’s expectation of acquisition success; self-view is related to learner’s beliefs about the importance of the learning.
From those theoretical reviews above, there are at least four important issues that relate to EFL teaching and learning in a school context. First, both teachers and students determine success in the learning outcomes. Second, students come into the classroom with individual differences, yet teachers have the formal authority to direct them to learn toward achieving the same goals. Third, learners are not passive agents because they have dynamic qualities that develop along the experiences that they get during the teaching and learning process. Fourth, English language teaching in the classroom does not only affect their language proficiency but also develop their characters through optimalizing the dynamic qualities (Artini, 2009).
As far as teachers’ influence to learners’ learning outcomes and dynamic qualities is concerned, teachers have the authority to decide what the students learn and achieve. Garmo (2011) points out that, educational policies should aim to achieve well in school and life (p. vii). Achieving well in school refers to knowledge and skills, which is explicitly stated in the school curriculum, while in life refers to characters that should come together with the other two, which is not explicitly stated but should be inserted in the pedagogical practices (hidden curriculum). According to McLaren (1997), hidden curriculum is ‘unintended outcomes of the schooling process. These outcomes are planned by the teacher and are achieved through .standardized learning situation such as classroom organization, informal pedagogical procedures, teaching and learning strategies, and assessment procedures.
EDUCATIONAL REFORM IN INDONESIA
Educational reform in Indonesia was started since the launching of Competence based Curriculum (hereafter, CBC) in 2004. This is probably the beginning of the awareness to intentionally include characters into the pedagogical daily practises. At first, characters were limited to attitudes towards learning which covers motivation, enthusiasm, and life long learning. In 2006, when School based Curriculum (hereafter, SBC) was in practice, 18 character values were mentioned and to be inserted in teachers’ teaching strategies. The 18 values include religious, honesty, tolerance, discipline, hard working, creative, independent, democratic, patriotic, dedicated to the country, aiming to good achievement, sociable/communicative, love peace, like reading, social care, environment care, and being responsible. These values were recommended to be inserted in teaching routines. So far, efforts by the teacher were emphasized on explicit insertion of character values into teaching and learning activities. The common practice is, teacher plans the values they targeted to and decides types activities that s/he assumed to bridge the attainment of the values. For example, to attain the values of discipline, creative, independent and sociable, the teacher employs cooperative learning approach.
Character education was revised in Curriculum 2013. There are four core-competencies that were developed as the bases for national education practices at schools. Two of the core competencies deal with character values and qualities. The first core competency is specially developed for religious manner, the second is about the social characters such as being honest, discipline, responsible, care (cooperative work, tolerant, love peace), polite, responsive, and pro active. These are explicitly stated as the goals of learning and are demanded to be part of teachers’ daily coverage in their classroom activities.
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT IN CURRICULUM 2013
The term ‘authentic assessment’ was popularized by Wiggins (1989), referring to the idea that “assessment should engage students in applying knowledge and skills in the same way they are used in ‘real world’ outside school” (in Marzano, et.al., 1993:13). According to O’Malley and Pierce (1996), assessment is authentic when it corresponds and mirrors good classroom instructions and the results can be used to improve instructions. The two scholars implied that authentic assessment is a part of instruction, not apart from instruction. This emphasizes the close connection between teaching and assessing. A good teaching results in a good assessment and a good assessment results in a good teaching.
There are 5 types of authentic assessment that are recommended to be used in classes including in EFL instructions (Rolheiser & Ross, 2005). First, self-assessment and peer assessment which are reflective in nature since students should be able to figure out their learning strengths and weaknesses. By means of specially designed rubrics, they assess their own ability and learn what need to be improved and maintained. Second, Product Assessment is the type of assessment that refers to a product of learning (for example, writing composition). In this assessment, students may also assess themselves in addition to assessment made by the teacher. From the results of the assessment process students learn to be critical of their own work and of the others’. Third, project assessment is a strategy to assess thematic product of learning. While product assessment is usually on the topic of a lesson, project is normally wider in scope as it involves a bigger theme. Fourth, Performance assessment is an assessment on students’ achievement which is traced from their performances on a communicative task. Fifth, Portfolio assessment, which mainly concerns about the process and output of learning that can be traced through students’ collection of work ( see fo e.g. Barootchi, & Keshavarz 2002).
The connection between teaching and assessing was emphasized by Indonesian Department of National Education (2003). Assessment should reflect the real-world problems and involve various measures, methods, and strategies to be compatible to learners’ characteristics and learning objectives. Apart from becoming the bases to diagnose students’ learning problems as well as to measure how well students achieve the curriculum expectations (Chittenden, 1991), appropriate assessment employment can also guarantee that students attain expected educational goals or standards, including the academic and non academic achievement (O’Malley & Pierce, 1996). The academic achievement refers to the achievement from the curriculum (the goals that are explicitly stated in the curriculum document) and the non academic one refers to the achievement of the hidden curriculum (character values and soft skills that are implied in the curriculum document).
This paper is written in an attempt to describe how assessment procedures can bring an impact to the development of the hidden curriculum (i.e. character education to students). The investigation was made to detect the character content of the assessment techniques and strategies and also to find out the awareness of the English teachers in junior high schools in Bali about the hidden curriculum through assessment procedures and how ready they are to implement the authentic assessment as recommended by the new curriculum.
METHOD
This is a need analysis study which was conducted in order to describe how authentic assessment procedures could become a vehicle to teach character values. Data were collected to find out how aware the Balinese English teachers in junior high schools of the role of assessment procedures in developing students’ character. It also aims at finding out how ready the teachers are in implementing the authentic assessment, including what problems that they encountered in implementing it. 32 English teachers from 32 junior high schools around Bali were assigned to respond to a survey questionnaire. This was followed up with Focus Group Discussion to collect data on their awareness of the importance of authentic assessment and their readiness to implement this type of assessment in their EFL classes. To describe the hidden curriculum in the assessment procedures, an analysis to a number of authentic assessment rubrics was done with reference to the character values stated in the second core competency in English curriculum for Grade 7. The data of teachers’ awareness and readiness are presented in the form of percentages, and the data on the hidden curriculum in the assessment procedures are in the form of qualitative data.
FINDINGS
There are three subtitles presented in this section. First, the character contents of the authentic assessment in use according to Curriculum 2013; second, teachers’ awareness of the importance of authentic assessment for detecting academic and non-academic achievement; and their readiness to implement authentic assessment.
Types of Assessment and Character Content
Spiller (2012) points out the is a positive effect of well designed assessment procedures on developing students’ learning. The approach motivates students’ active participation, responsibility, dialogical and collaborative learning. In line with this, Andrade & Du (2007) state that there is a considerable overlap between self assessment and peer assessment. They are similar in some ways; both encourage active participation, decision making, hard-working and independent learning. In Product Assessment, students have to show good efforts to produce quality work. Teacher, first of all, gives orientation about what is expected from students to produce. They are also equipped with self-assessment rubric to guide them to achieve product requirement. The hidden curriculum from this type of assessment includes encouraging honesty (to produce original work), responsibility (to do effort to finish quality work on time), honesty (about the type of assessment that refers to a product of learning (for example, writing composition). In this assessment, students may also assess themselves in addition to assessment made by the teacher. From the results of the assessment process students learn to be critical of their own work and of the others’. Similarly, in, project assessment students are educated to work hard, to be creative, honest, responsible, discipline, pro-active, and creative. Finally, in portfolio assessment, students learn about managing own work, working hard and discipline and improve their self-directed learning skills. This content of hidden curriculum was perceived from the nature of authentic assessment, characteristics of each type of assessment, as well as their implementation in real EFL classes. All assessments strategies also involves interaction and communication, so the hidden curriculum is to achieve good communication skills in the foreign language, respect others by listening attentively when one is speaking, improve teamwork. Thus, the implementation of authentic assessment does not only positively affect students’ academic achievement but also their good habit of learning as well as good character as an individual. To make it clear, the following is an example of self-assessment and the character content.
Assessment Type: Student Self-Assessment
Task: “A description of the biggest animal I’ve ever seen and touched”
ü The skills and techniques I learned from completing this task: _______________
ü The steps I took to complete this task: __________________________________
ü Some problems I faced: _____________________________________________
ü I overcame them by: ________________________________________________
ü My personal rating for this task is:
Very High High Medium Low Very Low
From those rubrics above, it is obvious that students develop reflective and self directive learning as they have to give feedback to their own learning. They also develop own strategy (hard working and discipline) to complete the task well. This assessment contains hidden curriculum in which regular implementation can be expected to results in satisfactory academic achievement as well as good characters. This is supported by Bransford, Brown & Cocking (1999), for whom authentic assessment make students become more aware of their own thinking and more knowledgeable about cognition in general. In addition, they develop an awareness of the need to be responsible to their own learning, and this makes them learn better.
Teachers’ Awareness of the Role of Authentic Assessment in Educating Character
Teachers’ awareness was investigated through questionnaire administration and Focus Group Discussion. In general English teachers in Bali are aware of the importance of authentic assessment to be implemented in their classes. This was indicated by the percentage of 95% teachers responded that through authentic assessment, students learn both academic and character education. They believe that authentic assessment make students understand their strengths and weaknesses and can take necessary efforts to improve their learning. Only 5% of the teachers were not sure which was interpreted as having low awareness. The following figure illustrates teachers’ awareness.
The awareness was built through special trainings that the teachers have gone through in preparation to the implementation of the new curriculum (i.e. Curriculum 2013). All the teachers participated in this research have had the experience of attending two to three days of training on innovative teaching strategies and authentic assessment organized by the Department of Education and Culture, Bali Province.
Teachers’ Readiness to implement Authentic Assessment in the Classroom
Teachers’ high awareness of the importance of authentic assessment in teaching English as a foreign language does not seem to be consistent with teachers’ readiness to implement the ‘new’ trend of assessing. The data reveal that teachers got used to the implementation of classical assessment (i.e. paper and pencil test) and were reluctant to try new trend in assessment. This is represented by the following figure.
As indicated by the pie chart above, the majority of teachers (85.7%) responded that they were not ready to implement authentic assessment in their English classes. There were a number of reasons that elicited from the Questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion. One of the reasons is because authentic assessment is difficult and complicated. Developing assessment rubrics is considered to be complicated as well as time consuming. In addition, the scoring is not straight forward. The classical reason is because the class size is very big, with sometimes over 40 students. In speaking lesson for example, teachers will not have enough time to use rubric in assessing their speaking performance.
Another reason for teachers’ reluctance in implementing the new assessment approach is because there is no example or model of assessment rubric to assess every language skill that they can refer to when developing their assessment instruments. The availability of example or practical guide is important to improve teachers’ confidence with the new culture of teaching (Giroux, 1984). The professional development program on assessment that they attended usually ended up with information about the concepts and no examples or practical guidance were provided for the teachers. In the Focus Group Discussion, they pointed out the importance of practical model and adequate examples of ready to use assessment instruments so that they can use them directly or do minor manipulation when necessary.
The lack of practical guides and professional examples of authentic assessment to be used in EFL classes is likely to result in minimal development of student dynamic qualities (Naiman et al. (1996). As mentioned earlier, it is these qualities that need to be emphasized in the classroom through effective teaching and assessing strategies. The activation of dynamic qualities will consequently develop good characters such as high personal learning rate (i.e. learning speed), learning styles and learning strategies, ; high level success-need, expectation of acquisition success; positive self-view. These are the foundation for the targeted character values as stated in the latest curriculum in Indonesia.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
Up to this point it can be concluded that junior high school English teachers in Bali have had an understanding of the importance of authentic assessment to assess students’ academic achievement as well as the non academic ones. However, they perceive that this relatively new trend in assessment difficult to implement. They maintain the preference of using the classical assessment approach instead as it is considered more direct, holistic and easy to implement. However, when ‘ready to use’ assessment instruments are available, they would do an attempt to implement authentic assessment in their classes. Therefore this need analysis study concludes that there is an urgent need to develop authentic assessment instruments for English teaching and learning in Junior high schools in Bali. This finding becomes the empirical evidence of the urgent need for the Research and Development on authentic assessment model in junior high school in Bali.
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