The Factors Affecting Assessment of Writing With Particular Reference to Teachers’ Feedback at SSS II Level
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
The central purpose of this research is that to some extent, writing is not fairly assessed or scored as they should be because various factors have been found to affect the accuracy, reliability and validity of the scoring and assessment of writing. The purpose of this study therefore is to examine some of these factors that affect effective assessment of writing with particular reference to teachers feedback in some selected secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study are:
- To determine the factors that affect effective assessment of writing.
- To ascertain which of the methods of assessment (holistic or analytic) is more effective in assessing writing.
- To examine the extent to which teachers’ educational qualification affect assessment of writing.
- To investigate the extent to which teachers’ years of experience affect effective assessment of writing.
- To explore the extent to which teachers’ marking strategies affect effective assessment of writing.
- To find out the strategies used by teachers for providing effective feedback.
- To determine the importance of feedback on students’ writing development.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Many studies have been conducted to investigate the impacts of teachers’ written feedback on students’ revisions. However, this review of literature defines the main key words of this paper; moreover, it focuses on studies that have presented the factors that affected some students, somehow, from responding to their teachers’ feedback on their written works. It focuses mainly on the factors that are related to students such as language proficiency, level of motivation, being interested in grades, attitudes towards feedback and lack of time. There are also some factors that are related to teachers like types of feedback and strategies that they use while providing feedback, the usage of vague and general comments, and hand writing. Moreover, factors such as the topic of an essay and instructional contest have an impact on students’ responses to their teachers’ written feedback. It also attempts to provide an evaluation to these studies. To begin with, there are four main key words in this paper. Firstly, Oxford Dictionary (2018) defined a factor as is condition, fact, or influence that contributes to a result. Then the meaning of affecting regarding to Cambridge Dictionary (2018) is an influence on someone or something. In addition, feedback is defined by Keh (1994:294) as “an input from a reader to a writer with the effect of providing information to the writer for revision.” Finally, response is the reaction of someone to something (Merriam-Webster, 2018). Secondly, many studies have found that language proficiency is one of the main factors that affects students’ responses to their teachers’ feedback. Razali and Jupri (2014), in their a research paper on about 30 students of Foundation English at University of Malaysia at Perlis to explore the use of three types of feedback by using students’ composition and questionnaire, found that the students who had low levels of language proficiency did not respond well to their teachers’ feedback since they have had limited range of vocabulary and poor grammar. On the other hand, Razali and Jupri acknowledged that students with high levels of language proficiency could revise their work successfully. Silver and Lee (2007) yielded a similar result from their study, which investigated the effects of teacher’s written feedback on 33 students’ writing in Singapore Primary School by using a questionnaire, students’ compositions and teacher’s feedback. They found that students who had not got an appropriate language to revise their revisions were not able to apply the feedback they received. Furthermore, Tam and Chiu (n.d.) found a comparable result when they investigated 6 average-ability class responses to feedback they received by using text tests, questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview. The research showed that the students who had a higher level of the language were able to reduce the number of mistakes in their second drafts whereas weaker students could not. In addition to the previous related results, Wasoh (n.d.), who conducted a study to examine how 28 of second-year students respond to their teacher’s feedback on their compositions at the Faculty of Humanities and Social sciences in Prince of Songkla University by using written texts, students’ questionnaire and teacher’s interview, asserted that one of the reasons that made students unable to apply their teachers’ feedback was their limited language competence since they could not discuss their ideas elaborately and creatively. The same result was instituted by Lee (2008). Lee, who did a paper to investigate the reactions of 58 students of two secondary classrooms in Hong Kong to the feedback they received from 2 of writing teachers by using a questionnaire, checklists and protocol, interview, classroom observation, and feedback analysis, indicated that the level of language proficiency had an impact on students’ responses to their teachers’ feedback.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine the factors affecting assessment of writing with particular reference to teachers feed back at SS2. Staffs of selected schools in Yaba Local Government Area and Somolu /Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos state in form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the factors affecting assessment of writing with particular reference to teachers feedback to SS2 level. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing challenges the factors affecting assessment of writing with particular reference to teachers feedback to SS2 level
Summary
This study was on the factors affecting assessment of writing with particular reference to teachers feedback to SS2 level. Four objectives were raised which included: To determine the factors that affect effective assessment of writing, to ascertain which of the methods of assessment (holistic or analytic) is more effective in assessing writing, to examine the extent to which teachers’ educational qualification affect assessment of writing, to investigate the extent to which teachers’ years of experience affect effective assessment of writing, to explore the extent to which teachers’ marking strategies affect effective assessment of writing, to find the strategies used by teachers for providing effective feedback and to determine the importance of feedback on students’ writing development.. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected staffs of selected secondary schools in Yaba Local Government Area and Somolu /Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos state. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The teacher’s style of essay correcting has definitely a huge negative impact on students’ essay writing as well as their responses to feedback. The way that she used to correct students’ mistakes is what make her students, somehow, not interested in writing as they think that their writing by now is perfect. For instance, students wrote many different types of essay during this academic year; however, they still make errors in regard to spelling, word forms, structure, unity and coherence. It is supposed that by now they should have at least mastered the format of the essay, but they did not. This is due to the fact that their teacher did not provide any feedback on essay structure, unity or even coherence. She mainly focused on grammar mistakes. By doing so, students thought that they have no issues in terms of writing essays, and they only got some small issues of grammar. When the comparison and contrast essay was corrected by teacher B, the students were shocked. Teacher B provided many commentaries on students’ essays. For example, she commented on the essay structure. All the focus group did follow the structure of essay writing. The introduction was missed in some essay and others it was mixed with the other parts. Mostly, the essay was written like a report not an essay. The body paragraphs missed topic sentences and conclusions. Besides, there was a huge issue in regard to unity and coherence. There were many off topic sentences and sudden jumps from one piece of information to another. According to Hong (2007), the feedback should emphasis on both form and content as the students could get benefits in those areas. Resulted on that the students faced new commentaries they have not received before even they wrote many essays. They did not know how to respond because they did not practice that before in regard to essay structure, unity and coherence. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that they method of providing feedback by teacher A had a negative impact on students’ performance. She admitted that by doing so she wanted not to disappoint students with a big load of comments as it was their first time to write. This reasoning sounds logical, but turned negative when it was the only way of providing feedback to students for all the next essays they wrote. One student said, after she received her essay corrected by teacher B, ‘I think we have written a lot a lot of essays and when we see these mistakes it was like a shock’. The researchers suggest that in order to make the feedback effective as it should be, teachers should focus on all the aspects of writing such as structure, language-form, content and organization since good writing is based on all of that. Radecki and Swales (1988 as cited in Salteh and Sadeghi, 2015) stated that good wiring is not based only on some aspects nor the others; instead, it depends on everything such as grammar, structure, organization, content and so on. Delivering direct corrective feedback all the time made students not interested in writing, although they do need it in some cases but not all of the time. Lalande (1982 as cited in Wen, 2013) pointed out that indirect corrective feedback could benefit students more than direct corrective feedback for long term. It is recommended to use both direct and indirect corrective feedback. However, the teachers need to restrict the number of direct error-correction only to the ones that they think that students could not correct it by themselves. To support, Radecki & Swales (1988 as cited in Salteh and Sadeghi, 2015) affirmed that students’ need for error correction does not necessarily imply the usefulness of such feedback. Furthermore, it is recommended for teachers to keep in mind the students’ preferences and opinions while they are providing feedback because any incongruity between students’ and teachers’ opinions can curb or hinder the effectiveness of indirect corrective feedback.
Recommendation
The study recommended that government should employ qualified English teachers to help educate student in writing and other areas of English language
References
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