USING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT FOR TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION TO ADULT LEARNERS
By
Luh Putu Artini
Ganesha University of Education
Email: lpartini_undiksha@yahoo.com
Abstract
Adult learners have distinctive characteristics in comparison to younger learners. In English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning, adult learners have the preference of independence, choice and monitor their success in learning by involving themselves in assessing their ability. To accommodate these, the teaching of Advanced Reading for the third year students of English Education Department, Ganesha University of Education facilitates students with an opportunity to read in class and outside the class (extensive reading). They select the topics (under pre determined themes) and implement portfolio assessment strategy that includes the use of self-reflective journal and self assessment. After one semester of in-class and extensive reading, their attitudes, motivation, and their reading comprehension achievement was analyzed. The findings indicate that portfolio has a probable impact on student positive attitudes and high motivation to read systematically, and consequently results in good reading comprehension achievement.
Key words: portfolio assessment, reading comprehension, adult learners.
INTRODUCTION
The learning paradigm nowadays has shifted from teacher-centered to student-centered. This shift has brought about tremendous changes in the approaches, methods and strategies to teach and to learn. Students are considered subjects of learning who come into the classroom with learning potencies, and actively seek new knowledge and experiences (Johnson & Johnson, 1987). Accordingly, the major role of the teacher is to facilitate them to learn so that they can maximize their potencies.
The latest curriculum in Indonesia (i.e. Curriculum 2013) was developed to accommodate the need of students as active learning agents. Three learning models are recommended to be in use in the classroom. First, project-based learning is highly recommended since it involves students to do activities or tasks that require them to do an investigation, scaffolding, collaboration and reflection (Grant, 2002). Project-based learning is student-driven and realistic activities that strengthen competencies in the subject areas contextually (Thomas, 2000). Second, problem-based learning is similar to project-based learning since both are underlined by the concept of constructivism. The implementation of this model encourages students to actively engage with real-life problems or issues (Toomey in Duch, 2010) so that they develop understanding of the world. Third, inquiry-based learning is also underlined by the concept of constructivism in which students build their knowledge by activating their inner curiosity, researching, interpreting and reporting. They are driven by open-ended questions and collect data in order to be able to answer the question (Kahn & O’Rourke, 2005; Samarapungavan et al., 2008).
The three learning models emphasize on students’ responsibility to their own learning. Teachers are required to be creative to establish tasks and facilitate the process. On the part of the learners, they construct knowledge and skills and incorporate prior knowledge, beliefs and preconception to make sense of the new information (Prince & Felder, 2006). The tasks and activities are complex so that students develop thinking skills, including critical and creative thinking (Killen, 1996).
In the context of English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning the models above are not only appropriate for teaching mature learners but also young learners, including kindergarten and primary school children. The main point is for the students to produce creative language in establishing a task or a project. The models can be used for teaching the four language skills (i.e. Listening, Speaking, Reading and Listening). For example, for teaching writing using project based learning, young learners can be assigned to create a poster demonstrating the story of their life from year to year with real photos attached in the poster. They are expected to use creative language in writing expressions like I was one year old when I started to walk. I was two years old when I started to ride a bike. This kind of project exercises them with grammatical language expressions in real life setting. The complexity of tasks increases with the age or grade of the students, therefore teachers should be alert of their levels of competencies and design learning activities accordingly.
The challenge for a good EFL teacher is not only on designing instructional materials, establishing the tasks and facilitating the process but also in developing appropriate assessment strategy. A good assessment strategy will not only provide learners with information for reflection but also enables learners’ mind to transform information into useful knowledge (Lombardi, 2007). According to Nitko (2001), assessment should be authentic, realistic and meaningful. It must help learners to build their competence as well as to do self reflection to improve their own academic achievement.
In teaching Reading in the context of English as a Foreign Language, teacher’s challenges start from deciding on the reading texts, the types of assessment, and the follow up activities. For young learners, the target may be on word recognition and answering simple comprehension questions. For adult learners, the tasks may include analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating certain issues; and therefore need more complex assessment procedures. In an advanced reading course, the types of texts, tasks / activities and assessment should meet the characteristics and needs of adult learners. One assessment strategy that has been considered appropriate to assess adult learners is portfolio assessment (see for example, Brown, 2002; )
THE METHOD
This paper reports the findings of a classroom research on the implementation of portfolio assessment strategy in Advanced Reading classes in English Education Department of Ganesha University of Education. The research involves 59 students from 2 different classes (Class 5C: 31 students; Class 5F: 28 students). The purpose of the research was to discuss the students’ attitudes and motivation about instructional materials and activities involved in Advanced Reading course that employs portfolio assessment strategy. Finally the probable impact of portfolio assessment strategy on the subjects’ attitudes, motivation and achievement is discussed. The research was conducted for the whole semester in the academic year 2014/2015. Classroom observation was first of all done to note the classroom management during the implementation of portfolio assessment strategy. Students’ self reflective journals were presented at the end of the semester from which data on attitudes and motivation were collected. Students’ achievement in Advanced reading course was analyzed from the results of their provisional marks from the course which were accumulated from the portfolio assessment, mid-term and final test.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Characteristics of Adult Learners
The definition of adult learners varies according to the purpose of a research. Cercone (2008) quotes Moore & Kearsley (1996) for whom adult learners are learners between the ages of 25 and 50. The learners of these ages were considered to have distinctive characteristics to younger learners who study in primary or secondary schools because they may be studying and at the same time having responsibilities to their families and job. University students may also be considered adult learners and they need ‘some types of structure’ to assist them to become independent and self directed (Cercome, 2008). Merriam & Caffarella (1999) define adult learners from the concept of Andragogy. These scholars suggest five assumptions regarding the characteristics of adult learners. First, they are considered to possess independent self-concept and ability to direct their own learning; second, they have had growing learning experiences that become a ‘rich resource’ for learning new knowledge; third, social role of the learners is related to their learning readiness; fourth, there is a dynamic change of adult learners’ perspectives along the way; fifth, adult learners are likely more motivated by internal factors (not external ones). Thus, adult learners are more likely to be independent and self-directed learners, while younger learners need more direction and guidance, or in other words, more dependent upon the teacher.
As the basis of her Research and Development, Cercone (2008) listed thirteen characteristic of adult learners. First, adult learners may have some limitation as the result of the established learning habit such as learning stamina, concentration span, etc. Consequently, the teacher should consider the limitation in designing instructional design for them. Second, they have a wide range of individual differences, including the difference in learning styles. This should also be considered especially in material development and types of tasks. Third, they need to be actively involved in the learning process because they have to use their thinking ability to make learning result in permanent ownership of competencies. Fourth, as they have background knowledge of a particular topic as the result of their learning experiences, learning should provide scaffolding activities. Fifth, adults have a pre-existing learning history and they need support to work in new learner-centered paradigm. Sixth, adults have to relate what they already know with the new knowledge, and the major role of the teacher is as a facilitator. Seventh, adults need consideration of their prior experience. Eighth, they need to see the link between what they are learning and how it will apply to their lives. Ninth, adults need to feel that their learning focuses on issues that directly concern them and want to know what they are going to learn, how the learning will be conducted and why it is important. Tenth, adult learners need to fulfill their curiosity about how well they have achieved, therefore they need to test their learning as they go along, rather than receive background theory. Eleventh, adult learning requires a climate that is collaborative, respectful, mutual, and informal. Twelfth, adults need to self-reflect on the learning process and be given support for transformational learning, and finally thirteenth, adults need dialogue, therefore social interaction must be provided during the process of learning. These distinctive learning characteristics (as compared to younger learners) may make teaching adult learners challenging. Their need to draw out meaning from what they learn and to be curious about how well they have achieved the pre determined standard of competencies will make the teacher to be selective and considerate about the instructional materials, the types of tasks and activities, the strategy for assessing their competencies as well as the follow up activities.
Reading in EFL
In exploring the literature, there are different classifications of readers’ levels (see Graves, Connie & Graves, 1998; Nuttall, 1996). One of the classification was put forward by ……….who proposed eight levels of reading ranging from the lowest level (emergent reader to maturing & advanced reader). As this article focuses on adult learners, the level of reading discussed in the highest level (i.e. advanced reading) which characterized by reading fluency (100+ wpm), accuracy of pronunciation, and proper expressions. An advanced reader conveniently reads longer texts in a variety of genres and employs a variety of strategies in order to comprehend the texts. They confidently decide on appropriate and effective strategies to meet different purposes of reading. In advanced reading course in Ganesha University of Education, students are trained to develop high order thinking abilities through the activities of comparing and contrasting different elements of a text such as the theme and topic, problems and solution as well as cause and effect relationship.
An advanced reader is supposed to have rich vocabulary so that s/he has the capability to use them in appropriate contexts (Mokhtar, 2010). Rich vocabulary ownership will help readers understand and at the same time have the ability to make inference, summarize, synthesize or evaluate information. It is then sensible to say that advanced readers easily cope with long texts such as novels, magazines, newspapers, internet articles, journal articles and any other forms of reading texts.
Portfolio Assessment in Reading Classes
Paulson et al. (1991) define portfolio as a collection of works compiled by students that indicate their effort, progress and achievement. The emphasis of this notion is on students’ active involvement in their learning process which includes selecting, judging and reflecting. They select the evidence or sample of their work and efforts, self assess their achievement and do self reflection on what have and have not been learnt.
Later publication by Moya & O’Malley (1994) suggests that the implementation of portfolio in the classroom support the process-oriented curricula especially in the area of English as a Foreign Language teaching and learning. According to these scholars, there are five features of portfolios in ESL classes: Comprehensiveness, predetermined and systematic, informative, tailored and systematic. Being comprehensive involves critical evaluation (either formal or informal) about what is meant by a good work or ‘high priority’ of information. Predetermined and systematic refer to students’ awareness of using portfolio, the procedures of planning, deciding on the content, the assessment and performance criteria. What is meant by informative here is that the portfolio should provide meaningful information to teachers, students, staff and parents. The meaning of tailored in this context is that all the work/task are carefully designed and have clear purposes. Finally, authentic means that the assessment should be real life and contextual so that learners can develop their understanding in both the concept and topic and it’s relationship to real life contexts.
One of the characteristics of adult learners is that they need to see the link between what they are learning and how it will apply to their real life (Cercone, 2008). This confirms that there must be a close link between the instructional materials and the assessment strategy use. Adults also need to test their learning while they go along. In this case, they are in need to assess their own capability through self assessment strategy. As a matter of fact, according to Paulson et al. (1991) as cited in O’Malley & Pierce (1996), “without self assessment and reflection on the part of the student, a portfolio is not a portfolio” (p.35). Thus portfolio assessment is appropriate for adult learners since it includes self assessment in its step by step implementation.
In this research, adult learners are the third year students of Ganesha University students majoring in English education. They were undertaking Advanced Reading Course, the highest level of the four series reading courses in the department. The main goal of the course is to train them with high order thinking abilities through reading themes that are related to the life of adult professionals. The course is a two-credit hour lesson with the total number of in class sessions of 16 times9including the mid-term and final tests), each of the session comprised 2x50 minutes. In class activities, students are trained to think critically about a particular issue. First, they read the text under a theme silently. And then a class discussion was run by the teacher which is guided through informative and hypothetical questions. After that, students work in groups of 4 or 5 to create analytical and evaluative questions about the text. Two groups were then mingled and ask and answer questions. This in class activity may be followed with writing activity that demonstrates students’ critical thinking skill.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
General Overview about Advanced Reading Course
The instructional materials for Advanced Reading course were compiled in the form of handouts and loose reading texts or articles. The texts were selected from magazines, newspaper, journals, and online resources. There were two major segments in Advanced Reading Course: First, in-class reading activities that includes analyzing, evaluating, question composing, summarizing and using difficult words into contexts. In this first segment, students were provided with the reading texts to be discussed with the teacher taking the role as the prompter. Usually there is only one reading text that is discussed in one session with the variations of individual, group and class activities. Second, Extensive Reading that includes summarizing, composing and answering analytical and evaluative questions, listing difficult words, finding their meaning in monolingual English dictionary and making sentences using the words, summarizing, writing opinion about the text, and filling in self assessment rubrics. In this segment, students are assigned to find a text or more under the same theme. They had to read the text(s) at home and fill in their self reflective journal (see Table 02 below). There are 6 themes of texts used in the course, with the following details.
Table 01. Themes and Topics of Texts for AR Course
No
|
Themes
|
Reading Topics
| |
In class
|
Extensive
| ||
1
|
Human Rights
|
Gender Discrimination
|
Student own choice
|
History of War
|
Student own choice
| ||
2
|
Health & Education
|
Born to be the Best
|
Student own choice
|
Should Abortion be legal?
|
Student own choice
| ||
3
|
Unusual Life Style
|
Weird habits of successful people
|
Student own choice
|
The most famous drinkers of all time
|
Student own choice
| ||
4
|
Biography of Famous People
|
Great Invention in human history
|
Student own choice
|
Great Men in history
|
Student own choice
| ||
5
|
Economy & Business
|
His own Boss
|
Student own choice
|
Successful Family Business
|
Student own choice
| ||
6
|
Government & Politics
|
General Election
|
Student own choice
|
Terrorist
threats
|
Student own choice
| ||
The students were challenged to read as many texts as they want to and then they have to fill in their journal. There was one week in between one session to the other, which means they had seven days to search, print out, read, and do the journal. The following is the content of the journal.
Table 02. Content of Self-reflective journal for Extensive Reading
Text No
|
Title
|
Comprehension
|
Vocabulary
|
Comments/
Reflection
| ||
Summary
|
Analytical
Questions & Answers
|
Evaluative
Questions & Answers
| ||||
#1
| ||||||
#2
| ||||||
#3
| ||||||
etc.
| ||||||
The format of the reflective journal above illustrates the complexity of the extensive reading follow up activity that the students had to do independently. Their comprehension towards the text was represented by their summary, self-composed analytical and evaluative questions and the answers. There was also an activity to enrich vocabulary on a particular issue, and finally giving comment and self-reflect on the text read.
Students Attitudes and Motivation in Advanced Reading Course
Attitudes in the context of learning in this research refer to what someone thinks and feels about what he/she learns (Fielding, 2015). These were interpreted through the comments written in the reflective journals. Motivation is defined as the willingness to take necessary actions in order to achieve the intended goals. In this research motivation was traced from the effort to do the extensive reading. It includes the number of texts read and analyzed independently as seen in the journal.
Based on the close reading to students’ portfolio and self reflective journals of Class 5C, the majority of the students (74.6%) showed consistent positive attitudes towards the advanced reading course. They wrote expressions like: “I like the text because I can learn more about interesting life style”. “I learn many words about court and law through this topic”. Slightly different trend was demonstrated by class 5F. 63.7% said positive things like “I learn many new words from this reading activity”. I like reading the text because the topic is interesting for me”. This is understandable since both groups probably have developed ‘some strategies’ to cope with various reading texts during the ‘in-class’ reading activities. The lecturer always encouraged students to think critically to respond to analytical questions posed orally by the lecturer.
From the number of texts read independently and the effort done in filling in the journal after reading activity, it was found that most students in Class 5C demonstrated motivation to do extensive reading independently. There were 16.1% students who reads more than two (3 – 4 texts) independently. This shows good motivation to achieve well in portfolio assessment. At the beginning of the semester, students had been made aware of the consequences for their good effort. When they read more than 2 texts independently in a week time, they have full mark for the aspect of effort which will affect the overall score of the portfolio. 51.6% of the students in class 5C read 2 extensive reading texts and did their best effort to fill in the journal (which take them at least 4 hour extra time). This can be considered as the indication of motivation to do the extensive reading. The remaining 32.3% of the students were found to read one extensive reading text and did their best effort to fill in the portfolio journal. This could also be interpreted as motivation in Advanced Reading course. Meanwhile, Class 5F showed a different trend. None of the students from this class showed the evidence of having read more than 2 extensive texts in a week. Only 14.3% of the students read 2 texts and the rest 75.7% read 1 extensive reading text in a week. Some of the comments written in the journal of Class 5F are: “The time is very limited to find and analyze extensive reading text”. “The text are all difficult, it takes so much time to fill in the journal”. This difference may be the indication that there is some degree of difference in attitudes and motivations of the students from the two classes. The reasons for the difference are beyond the scope of this research. It may have something to do with the background knowledge and learning experiences of the two groups of students. The input quality of Class 5A, 5B, and 5C could be expected better than Class D, E,F and so forth, because the students test results in the selection process was ranked. Class A, B, and C can be expected to comprise those with better test results.
It is undeniable, however, that the interpretation of the data potentially be bias due to the limitation of the research method on attitudes and motivation in this research. But what obvious is that students seem to be very proud of their portfolio. Each of them made the portfolio very well-organized and they decorated it with pictures and professional cover. This also tells something in the journal about their attitudes and motivation.
The Probable Impact of Portfolio Assessment on Reading Achievement
During one semester of instruction, students had gone through learning processes that require them to interact frequently with various texts and write in their self-reflective journal in their portfolio. The portfolio comprises cover page for every theme, table of content, reading texts, reflective journal and self assessment rubrics. Thus it is not hard to imagine that students built their reading comprehension skills, analytical and evaluative thinking skills and at the same time did self reflection toward their learning. At the end of the semester, students have to present their Advanced Reading portfolio. They had to put emphasis on how much they learnt, what they like/dislike, what suggestion they would like to pass on to the Advanced Reading Instruction. The series of activities can be expected to build good effective habit in the course. All these systematic reading can be expected to bring about positive impact on students reading achievement. The following table shows students achievement as the impact of portfolio assessment strategy.
Table 03. Students’ Reading Achievement as the Impact of Portfolio Assessment
Strategy
Class 5C
|
Average Score
(out of 100)
|
Class 5F
|
Average Score
(out of 100)
|
Qualitative
|
85.3
|
Qualitative
|
77.8
|
Quantitative
|
87.5
|
Quantitative
|
79.5
|
Independence
|
86.3
|
Independence
|
78.0
|
Presentation
|
85.7
|
Presentation
|
80.0
|
Mid Term Test
|
85.0
|
Mid Term Test
|
79.7
|
Final Test
|
84.5
|
Final Test
|
76.3
|
Note
Qualitative score : The score taken from observing closely the portfolio at the end of the semester
Quantitative score :The average score between students’ self assessment scores and teachers’ scores
about the completeness and the quality of work as compiled in the portfolio
Independence :The score of student’s effort as seen from the number of texts they managed to
read and the tasks they fulfilled.
Presentation :The score gained from a presentation on particular issue.
Table 03 indicates the achievement of students from both classes in Reading as the result of the implementation of portfolio strategy. Students become active learners who take initiatives to search and select the text they would like to read. The systematic guidance about what to focus on and how to think critically in class was directly applied independently by the students outside the class. As Cercone (2008) points out, adult learners have initiatives to learn because they are aware why they are doing so. All students closely followed the step by step activities as guided by the journal in their portfolio. As the results they become more detailed in reading a text and improve their comprehension accordingly.
It is interesting that there is a consistent different trend between students of Class 5C and Class 5F. The lower attitudes and motivation in working on the portfolio journal was followed by lower achievement in Reading comprehension. There are two possible explanations for this finding. First, the two classes are basically different in background knowledge and experiences about reading. These affect their attitudes and motivation and consequently their reading comprehension achievement. The correlation between attitudes, motivation and achievement, have been established through intensive research. Secondly, the difference may have something to do with commitment and dedication to work on the portfolio (including the self assessment and the journal). Class 5C may have more commitment, spending more time and working harder so that they can satisfy themselves with what they wrote in the journal. This can be seen from the higher score of the portfolio followed with the higher score in the reading comprehension achievement. It this is true, it means that portfolio assessment strategy do bring positive impact on students reading skills and achievement.
CONCLUDING REMARK
As mentioned earlier, this research has a potential bias due to limitation of the research method. Students’ attitudes and motivation were interpreted through what students wrote in the self reflection journal of their portfolio. Positive statements were interpreted as positive attitudes. Similarly in interpreting motivation, the reference was the commitment of the students to do the most effort that can be seen from the number of extensive reading texts the searched, selected, read and analyzed. Only motivated students that can be expected to spent hours of work independently. For more reliable findings on this particular research topic, further research should design a more sophisticated research method and involve bigger size of subject.
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