Dynamic assessment versus static assessment: A study of reading comprehension ability in Iranian EFL learners

Year 2014, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 134 - 156, 31.12.2014

Behzad Nazari Saeed Mansouri

Abstract

This study extends traditional or static assessment of reading comprehension in foreign language contexts and applies dynamic assessment (DA) to the development of learners’ reading ability. To homogenize the research population (N= 250), an Oxford Placement Test (OPT) was administered. On the basis of the test results, the population was sorted into three groups of reading-low, reading-mid, and reading-high students. The participants of this study were a sample of 30 participants with the lowest level of reading comprehension proficiency randomly assigned into two groups of control and experimental. This study was conducted in the Nosrat Institute, located in Kermanshah Province in 2012. In order to determine their current zone or level of reading proficiency, a TOEFL reading comprehension pre-test was administered to both groups. Afterwards, DA training was applied to the EG in 9 successive 80-minute sessions on reading comprehension, Unlike EG, static assessment was applied to the CG. In the end, another TOEFL reading comprehension post-test was administered to the research groups to measure their reading comprehension performance level after their treatment. The statistical data analysis revealed that DA was statistically more significant and effective for the low skilled readers than static assessment.

Keywords

Assessment, dynamic assessment, static assessment, zone of proximal development, reading comprehension ability

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