Investigating Portfolio Assessment with Learners of the 3rd Grade in a Greek State Primary School

Abstract

Assessment is a field increasingly explored in relation to the parameters it involves. The special characteristics of the learners and the interactive relationship between instruction and assessment lead to the use not only of traditional assessment techniques but also of alternative methods such as the portfolio. This study intends to investigate the implementation of a process portfolio in a Greek state primary school with a class of third graders aged between 8-9, concentrating on integration of skills. The findings show that this technique is appropriate for young learners and that it meets specific pedagogical and assessment criteria. It also exerts positive impact on metacognitive awareness, learner autonomy and positive attitude towards learning. Finally, the findings give insight to emerging problems and issues requiring further research. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Assessment is a field increasingly explored in relation to the parameters it involves. The special characteristics of the learners and the interactive relationship between instruction and assessment lead to the use not only of traditional assessment techniques but also of alternative methods such as the portfolio. This study intends to investigate the implementation of a process portfolio in a Greek state primary school with a class of third graders aged between 8-9, concentrating on integration of skills. The findings show that this technique is appropriate for young learners and that it meets specific pedagogical and assessment criteria. It also exerts positive impact on metacognitive awareness, learner autonomy and positive attitude towards learning. Finally, the findings give insight to emerging problems and issues requiring further research.

Key words: young learners' characteristics, language acquisition, alternative assessment, metacognitive awareness, portfolio assessment

Introduction

The study reported in this paper investigates the use of alternative assessment with young learners. In particular it focuses on the implementation of a process portfolio with the 3rd class of a Greek state primary school in order to assess young learners' linguistic competence and integration of skills, and gain formative feedback.

The paper discusses the learning characteristics of children (8-9 years old), which can contribute to a better understanding of their needs, the underlying learning philosophy and appropriate teaching practices for this particular age group. It defines the concept of assessment and identifies and examines its parameters in relation to the specific age group. Then, the paper focuses on establishing an alternative assessment framework relevant to the diverse needs of the particular primary school pupils. The analysis generates specific findings considering the practice of portfolio assessment in the classroom, the evidence gathered from the active involvement of the children and recommends ways of improving it. Finally, the paper raises practical issues that need further research.

Literature review

Young learners and aspects of learning

Assessing young language learners requires, as stated by Mckay (2006), the consideration of the special characteristics of young language learners in parallel with the learning principles and teaching practices in LI as these are also reflected in foreign language teaching. Thus, the focus of this part lies on three components that need consideration when implementing assessment procedures: learners, principles of learning and appropriate practices.

Meggitt (2006) and Hobart and Frankel (2004) suggest that young learners, from five to twelve years of age, are different from other learners, teenagers or adults, due to certain special features which determine the way they think and learn. According to Piaget's classification (discussed in Boden, 1994) the participants of the present study fall in the third stage, the 'concrete operational stage'. At this stage logic develops and young learners undergo cognitive, social, affective and, due to their age, physical development.

As for their cognitive development, learners are in the process of developing basic cognitive and reflecting skills -perception, memory, concept formation, symbolization and critical thinking. Their attention span is generally short and they are likely to get distracted and bored rather easily. They need to be involved in active, stimulating, cognitively challenging and problem solving activities; this can be done through play, which constitutes an innate need for young learners. Young learners also begin to self correct and evaluate their performance. They develop the ability to read both aloud and silently as well as to read for information or pleasure. Also, although they combine drawing and writing, their writing can convey meaning on its own.

As far as their social development is concerned, learners at this age have already started to detach themselves from their egocentrism. They are in the process of developing an understanding of their own character as well as of their self in relation to others. Vygotsky's (1978) zone of proximal development (ZPD) and Bruner's (1983) notion of scaffolding postulate that children should be helped to gradually build up their understanding and skills, to interact with their peers and to be involved in pair or group work.

As for their affective development, children at this age are spontaneous and motivated; they need to deal with familiar genres and cooperate with familiar adults. When young learners are exposed to modeling and demonstration through rewards, their confidence and selfesteem are positively influenced and learning can take place.

Children's physical growth constitutes another major issue. Children over seven years have not adequately developed hand-eye coordination; yet they have developed the ability to move around and have increased their fine motor skills. They get tired more easily from sitting still rather than from participating in energetic activities.

Another dimension of children's theory of learning lies in the theory of multiple intelligences introduced by Gardner (1983). The notion of intelligence is not limited to one general abstract idea but is distinguished into multiple types involving special kinds of abilities and strengths. Every child has a special form of intelligence which should be matched to activities used in primary school lessons.

Because the context of this study is English as a foreign language it should be pointed out that comprehension and acquisition take place when learners are exposed to forms and structures which are just beyond their current level of competence in the language, referring to this relation as "i+1", input level plus one (Krashen and Terrell, 1988). According to Krashen and Terrell's affective filter hypothesis (ibid) relates affective factors to successful acquisition.

Assessment in language learning

Language assessment is typically distinguished into summative and formative. Summative assessment - assessment of learning - is described by Black and William (1998) as any assessment implemented at the end of a course to evaluate learners' competences. Black et al. (2003) explain that formative assessment - assessment for learning- is more frequent, involves a variety of methods and provides information which is used to adapt the teaching work to meet learning needs.

The teaching and learning models which focus on the communicative use of language in everyday life situations, i.e. singing the lyrics of a song or playing a game, and the fact that conventional testing squeezes out the joy and motivation which are inherent characteristics of young learners have caused a gradual change from norm-referenced to criterion based and to performance- based assessment. Rixon (2004) suggests that alternative assessment may involve a variety of practices: learner diaries, journals, interviews, observations, learnerteacher conferences, peer and/or self-assessment and portfolios. Portfolios, as Jones and Coffey (2006) postulate, involve a variety of methods and allow continuously recording achievement. Thus, they can offer a valuable assessment framework for primary school.

Portfolio assessment

The literature concerning portfolio assessment provides several definitions; Simon and Forgette-Giroux (2000) advocate that portfolio assessment is a cumulative and ongoing collection of entries selected according to a given framework and aiming at assessing development of a specific competency. The Council of Europe (2001) has defined three types of European Language Portfolios for primary school, secondary school and young adult life. There are different forms of portfolios, each of which serves a specific purpose, but in practice they are interrelated and overlap.

The value of portfolio assessment lies in the pedagogical and reporting qualities it possesses. The most dynamic characteristic of the portfolio is that it requires learners to assemble real evidence which provides an authentic description of what learners can do. Hamp-Lyons (1996) and Caudery (1998) argue that the contents of a portfolio are not limited to conventional testing activities such as multiple choice, true/false, matching or gap filling but involve activities which offer a complete picture of the learners' overall performance. All this evidence can be used to help young learners' language, cognitive, social, affective and physical development, and to detect problems in these areas.

Portfolios are a powerful means which encourage learners to be more involved in reasoning processes, an issue which Harmer (2006) considers as the touchstone for learning. Learners are involved in the organization of the selection of their work; they need to be critical about the work they collect as well as compare earlier and present work and, finally, draw inferences about their development. Hebert (1998) points out that this process of reflecting, developing descriptive language for the particular work selected and using metalanguage to talk about language contributes significantly to the child's metacognitive growth.

Learners are motivated to collaborate and interact with each other as well as with their teacher in order to implement self- and peer- assessment and realize their strengths and the actual areas that need improvement. loannou-Georgiou and Pavlou (2003) suggest that teachers have a concrete and tangible reason for arranging regular conferences with their learners. Both teachers and learners have the opportunity to develop their social skills in a cooperative atmosphere by getting to know each other better and by establishing a strong relationship which will yield beneficial educational and pedagogical effects.

The student product is highlighted not as an outcome per se; it is subjected to a certain creative procedure which is distinguished into three phases (Kemp and Toperoff, 1998). In the first phase, the collection, learners are responsible for collecting the samples needed for the compilation of the portfolio. Learners, especially young learners, are not accustomed to documenting their work. In Greek state primary schools learners use folders in order to save their class work but they are not obliged to follow a particular organizational pattern or a specific chronological order; therefore, they may have difficulty in getting used to adopting a more disciplined way. Thus, this phase requires thorough preparation and negotiation with the learners. The second phase involves the selection of the samples which is based on specific criteria related to the general purpose of portfolio. The third phase, reflection, is of great importance as it distinguishes portfolio from the mere collection of work in folders. Learners are asked to reflect upon and respond to the actual process of the lesson, to their performance and to the performance of their peers; this can be done in writing as well as orally, particularly with younger children. This final phase is a skill in itself. Teachers need to help learners master reflective skills and teach the practice of self- and peer-assessment by providing instruction with a lot of practice and feedback.

Baume (2002) concludes that portfolio assessment is a valid vehicle for both ongoing and terminal assessment. Learner achievement is judged against the intended outcomes of the course as these are presented in the portfolio itself. Berk (2002) suggests that the wide range of procedures and measures gathered over a long period of time can ensure the soundness, trustworthiness and legitimacy of it. He finds evidence of content validity as the outcomes being measured are representative of the teaching practices. Construct validity is apparent as the concrete evidence of learner performance reflects the underlying skills assessed and can support the inferences based on their assessment. Predictive validity is catered for as the evidence of the learners' performance can predict future use of the language. Hamp-Lyons and Condon (2000) advocate that portfolios possess face validity since the samples that are collected give a picture of the abilities or knowledge of the learner along with the predetermined objectives.

Another important merit of this alternative way of assessment is the profound positive impact it exerts. Schneider and Lenz (2001) advocate that learners and their environment, teachers and language teaching in general benefit from portfolio assessment. Learners, who are helped to understand the learning process, to develop metacognitive skills and to self monitor, feel a sense of achievement and are eager to continue, while teachers obtain ample and clear feedback which they can use for a multitude of purposes, for example to focus on developing specific reading or speaking strategies, and in a multitude of ways, for example with certificates of excellent student performance.

Research context

In most Greek state primary schools English starts in the 3rd grade and is taught on a three 45 minute lesson basis per week. Until September 2011, when a new book was introduced for the 3rd grade, teachers of English were obliged to choose the course book they wanted for the third grade from a list of books from the EFL market. For grades 4 to 6 they have to use a textbook series prescribed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Pedagogical Institute.

Primary schools do not involve formal assessment of pupils' language learning; pupils move up from one class to the next without examinations on the condition that they have attended at least half of the lessons and that the teacher judges that the knowledge and skills they have developed are appropriate to their class - appropriate is specified by the curriculum objectives, the class syllabus and the particular subject. In practice, assessment is based on the overall performance of students in class, oral work and homework and the revision exams pupils sit towards the end of each trimester. The frequency of paper-andpencil tests and the use of other techniques such as self- and peer-assessment, observations, projects and portfolios are at the teachers' discretion.

Methodology of the study

The present research study set out to investigate whether portfolio assessment is an appropriate assessment technique for young learners in a Greek state primary school, pertinent to the characteristics of young learners and examine the implications for teaching and assessment as described in the literature review. The study took place over a short period of time which lasted three months.

The class consisted of fifteen learners, six boys and nine girls, aged between eight and nine, who lived in a village in the province of Elia in the Péloponnèse, in the South of Greece. The learners used an English textbook, 'Zoom a' by Mitchell and Parker (2000), accompanied by workbook and companion book. The teacher considered the specific textbook series appropriate for the needs of the pupils and compatible with peer- and self- assessment techniques.

The collection of evidence is based on methods of triangulation which, as Brown and Rodgers (2002) argue, can be used to refer to the attempt to understand some aspects of the learners' behaviour by studying it from more than one standpoint. Thus, the study uses multiple data gathering procedures with a focus not on statistics but on practical significance. The sources of evidence include portfolio entries comprising tape-recorded performance and written tasks, open-ended questionnaire items and closed-response items involving self- and peer-assessment, a letter written by parents, and an evaluation form concerning the overall project completed by the learners.

Research questions

The study addressed the following research questions:

* Can portfolio assessment provide a young learner-centred perspective to assessment?

* Can portfolio assessment assess skills reflecting real life language use?

* Can portfolio assessment create a metecognitive environment?

The implementation of portfolio assessment

The procedures for the implementation of portfolio in this study were based on Kemp and Toperoff (1998) and Tsagari (2005) because they were manageable and applicable in this particular context.

Establishing Purpose

The teacher took into consideration the parameters of teaching English to young learners described in the literature review and realized that they needed to improve their overall achievement in English and develop in all four skills in an integrated mode. Therefore, the general aim of the portfolio was to assess integrated skills reflecting real-life language use.

Establishing Portfolio Format and Content

The teacher familiarized learners with the format of their portfolio. She explained to them that this would be divided in two parts, containing compulsory entries which would provide the basis for assessment purposes, and optional work which would allow pupils to show their talents and their best work.

Compulsory work involved eight tasks the pupils would carry out in class, including taperecorded material based on listening and speaking activities, playing a game, writing, reading, drawing and colouring. It included three peer-assessment questionnaires (Appendix I) in L2 and eight self-assessment questionnaires (Appendix II), most of them in LI. Optional items would include two parts: 'My Reading Log7 (Appendix III) and 'My Choice' (Appendix IV).

Establishing Ownership

The teacher helped the learners with the organization of the portfolio and encouraged them to gradually assume responsibility for its completion, from filling in the dates to arranging them in a chronological order.

Introducing the Idea of Portfolios

To avoid confusing learners with the word 'portfolio' the teacher explained to them where it derives from and what it actually means. She also showed them a file folder in which she had compiled a few of the compulsory activities they would need to do in the future along with self- and peer-assessment checklists in order to illustrate what the portfolio would look like.

Notifying Other Interested Parties

The teacher announced to the teaching staff and the principal that the third class of the primary school would be engaged in the compilation of a portfolio in the framework of portfolio assessment. Before the beginning of the portfolio assessment the teacher sent an informative letter to the parents. She also sent a second letter in the middle of the project (Appendix V) and asked parents to reply (Appendix VI).

Setting the Guidelines for Portfolio Presentation

A week before the compilation started the class discussed how the portfolio would be organized. They also discussed that learner-teacher conferences and reflection on their work would be necessary for learning and pedagogical purposes. They rehearsed the techniques and discussed success criteria to develop their confidence. Finally, the teacher placed the guidelines on the wall (Appendix VII) written in Greek for all the pupils to understand.

Preparation Period

As the participants were at a young age and they may easily be confused, lose interest or even lose confidence in their abilities pupils needed ongoing understanding, immediate guidance and timely feedback as far as the reflection part and the general organization of the portfolio were needed. They particularly liked 'playing teacher' and were able to make non-threatening, supportive and direct comments.

Assessment of the Portfolios

The teacher used four checklists, one of which is presented in Appendix VIM, and four global rating scales, an example of which is presented in Appendix IX. The global rating scales were more elaborate in consistency as she wanted to assess a variety of parameters but did not want the rating scales to be impractical for her to use. Additionally, the teacher took notes of the mistakes pupils made during the tasks and informed the learners about them and also modified teaching by using among others more realia, simplifications and Total Physical Response activities in order to help them improve.

The negotiation that was required for the completion of the self- and peer- assessment reports, the reflection cards for their reading logs and the reports for the optional collection of other activities fostered their metacognitive skills; students were able to reflect on their performance, evaluate themselves and set personal targets. Fisher (1989) postulates that this procedure encourages learners to be impartial and sincere.

Before the presentation of the portfolio the teacher discussed with each learner separately their final product and encouraged them to reflect on the quality of their work. This facilitated the assessment of the portfolio as a whole. After completing a questionnaire for the portfolio presentation as a whole, learners wrote the cover letter (Appendix X).

Fol low-Up

At the end of the portfolio period learners and their family members were invited in the classroom to look at the complete version of portfolios. Learners were awarded a certificate which congratulated them on their effort and their work. The teacher prepared a letter in LI for every pupil which was added in their portfolio and which outlined the weaknesses and stressed strengths, generating an individual profile for every learner.

Use of Portfolio Results

The portfolio contributed to diagnosing the strengths and weaknesses of learners and to monitoring their progress. It also assisted the development of learning and reasoning skills. It provided feedback both to the teacher and to the learners. Finally, it succeeded in involving parents in the teaching and learning process.

Discussion

The discussion of the results is based on the interpretation of the evidence collected and on the observations made during the study. Portfolio assessment proved an efficient means of assessing young learners' linguistic competences on a meaningful and contextualized basis in a variety of natural situations which they could face in their everyday life either in Greek or in English and succeeded in providing an authentic description of what these learners can do. The tasks employed reflect Piagetian thinking: they creatively stimulated the learners' imagination, related them with reality and involved an element of play. Pupils were able to show their competence in one individual skill as well as their ability to use more than one skill to achieve the overall aim of a task. The exposure to the recordings of their interactions raised their awareness of speaking and listening skills. The variety of writing tasks helped them develop their writing skills. The reading tasks and the reading of other stories enabled them to progress from reading aloud to reading silently.

The reflection over the criteria involved in self- and peer- assessment enabled students to internalize strategies that helped them develop their metacognitive awareness. Additionally, the reflection over the completion of the self- and peer-assessment reports helped them have a clear and well-marked way to successful performance, as also discussed by Gottlieb (2006). The optional items provided the learners with the chance to read several stories, reflect on them and draw a part or a picture of the story that impressed them. They were also able to review all the work they had done at school or at home, reflect on their performance and the learning targets and then select the ones they considered important for specific reasons which they wrote on their comment cards. Thus, students were given the opportunity to feel a sense of independence and autonomy, focusing on the learning process rather than on the aspiration to achieve a better grade. Learning was encouraged through experience or personal discoveries.

Materials, routines and relationships involved repetition, recycling and cooperation. An enjoyable and motivating environment was established, which supported emotional and social development. Pupils took pride in their accomplishments, were not embarrassed or afraid to be sincere with themselves and their peers and, finally, felt mutual respect for each other's work. This can be illustrated in their cover letters, in which students mentioned that they were happy with their tasks and that they wanted to repeat them and use them for other school subjects.

Parents had the opportunity to experience concrete examples of what their children did at school and to obtain useful insight into learners' weaknesses, strengths, preferences and attitudes. They were not only recipients of knowledge about their children but also active members in the learning process of their children thanks to the feedback they provided to the teacher.

The teacher was able to diagnose learners' strengths and weaknesses. For example, on one occasion, she heard a boy, who was until then considered shy and unable to participate in activities that required interaction with other learners, whisper correct utterances but not talk loud enough for the other learners to hear. Also, she was able to monitor learners' development and do remedial teaching when necessary. The other teachers, who were skeptical in the beginning, were taken aback by the learners' enthusiasm and wide spectrum of strengths it revealed. Yet they insisted on regarding it as a demanding task which would be difficult for them to undertake.

Overall, the results of the study showed that portfolio assessment is a valid assessment tool for assessing learner performance for a number of reasons. Initially, it gives an account of the performance it intends to assess. Secondly, the systematic procedure and the materials used correspond to the teaching practices. Thirdly, it predicts effective use of the language. Furthermore, it is a reliable method as there are clear assessment criteria and marking schemes. Last but not least, it is a fair method involving work over a period of time and allowing learners to revise and to comment on their work.

Limitations and suggestions for further research

Time management, storage and the financial issue concerning the expenses for purchasing folders and cassettes, were parameters which required consideration. The age of the learners was an important factor for using Greek in some self- and peer-assessment activities and in the comment cards for the optional tasks they selected, yet not in their reading logs. This happened in order to facilitate learners reflect on their work. Some might disagree as they would expect pupils to use only the target language.

The findings raise several important issues and challenges for further research:

* Portfolios could be used in primary school as a reporting, pedagogical as well as the main assessment tool. In this case, the rating scales or checklists used by the teacher might be included in order to provide a profile of the learner that incorporates both the learner's and the teacher's perspective.

* Portfolio projects could be incorporated in all grades of primary school to ensure academic consistency and to be further used as a longitudinal tool in documenting learners' achievement as well as self- and peer-assessment.

* The paper load learners have to complete should be reduced without eliminating the beneficial dynamic of portfolio.

* Portfolio assessment requires proper and continuous professional development and support.

* The questions asked to the parents should be handled with clarity in order to establish that their involvement is balanced and will facilitate the educational process.

Conclusion

This study provided evidence of the validity of portfolios for the assessment of young learners. Initially, portfolio assessment contributed to the cognitive, social and affective development of the learners. Moreover, it served as a common reference for communication between the teacher, learners and their parents. Finally, the learners involved developed metacognitive strategies and a positive attitude towards learning. This final issue is of critical importance as negative attitudes formed at this age are likely to impede not only language acquisition but also successful interaction with the students' environment when encountering challenges.

References

References

Baume, D. (2002). 'Portfolios, learning and assessment.' Accessed at http://www.recordinRachievement.orR/downloads/Assess Portfolios.pdf on 10 Oct 2005.

Berk, R. (2002). 'Teaching portfolios used for high-stakes decisions: you have technical issues!' accessed at http://www.nesinc.com/PDFs/2002 06Berk.pdf on 5 Nov 2005.

Black, P., Harrison, C, Lee, C, Marshall, B. and Wiliam, D. [2003). Assessment for learning - putting it into practice. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Black, P. & William, D. (1998). 'Inside the black box: raising standards through classroom assessment'. Phi Delta Kappan, 80/2: 139-148.

Boden, M. (1994). Piaget. London: Fontana Press.

Brown, J. D. & Rodgers, T. S. (2002). Doing second language research. Oxford: Open University Press.

Bruner, J. (1983). Child's talk: learning to use language. New York: Norton.

Caudery, T. (1998). 'Portfolio assessment a viable option in Denmark?' Sprogforum, 11/4: 5154.

Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for languages: learning, teaching, assessment. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Fisher, R. (1998). Thinking about thinking: developing metacognition in children.' Early Child Development and Care, 141/1: 1-15.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.

Gottlieb, M. (2006). Assessing English language learners: bridges from language. California: Corwin Press.

Hamp-Lyons, L. (1996). 'Applying ethical standards to portfolio assessment of writing in English as a foreign language.' In M. Milanovich & N. Saville (Eds.), Performance testing and assessment: selected papers from the 15th language testing research colloquium. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 151-164.

Hamp-Lyons, L. & Condon, W. (2000). Assessing the portfolio: principles for practice, theory and research. Cresskill: Hampton Press.

Harmer, J. (2006). 'Engaging students as learners.' English Teaching Professional, 42: 4-6.

Hebert, E. (1998). 'Lessons learned about student portfolios (benefits of student portfolios).' Phi Delta Kappan, 79/8: 583-585.

Hobart, C. & Frankel, J. (2004). A practical guide to child observation and assessment. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.

Ioannou-Georgiou, S. & Pavlou, P. (2003). Assessing young learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jones, J. & Coffey, S. (2006). Modern foreign languages, 5-11: a guide for teachers. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.

Kemp, J. & Toperoff, D. (1998). 'Guidelines for portfolio assessment in teaching English.' English Inspectorate Ministry of Education, accessed at http://www.anglit.net/main/portfolio/default.html on 15 Jan 2006.

Krashen, S. D. & Terrell, T. (1988). The natural approach: language acquisition in the classroom. Oxford: Pergamon.

McKay, P. (2006). Assessing young language learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Meggitt, C. (2006). Child development. Oxford: Heinemann.

Mitchell, H. Q. & Parker, S. (2000). Zoom A. London: MM Publications.

Rixon, S. (2004). 'Assessment of young learners of English: keeping track without turning them off.' Accessed at http://www.eltforum.com/forum/pdfs/avm04 papers.pdf. on 15 Nov 2005.

Schneider, G. and Lenz, P. (2001). European Language Portfolio: a guide for developers. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.

Simon, M. & Forgette-Giroux, R. (2000). 'Impact of a content selection framework on portfolio assessment at the classroom level.' Assessment in Education, 7/1: 83-101.

Tsagari, C. (2005). 'Portfolio assessment with EFL young learners in Greek state schools'. ELT News, 196: 28.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Appendix

Appendix