An Investigation into the Effectiveness of the Adopted Strategies through Dynamic Assessment and Their Comparison with Reference to Washback Effect

Yıl 2015, Cilt: 36 Sayı: 3, 810 - 826, 13.05.2015

Ali Kazemı Somayeh Noroozı

Öz

Abstract. In the current climate of testing practices, language assessment is expected to serve the purposes of testing and teaching alike. This ambition is most pronounced in Dynamic Assessment (DA), which consists in using a number of strategies during assessment, ranging from simple hints and prompts to detailed explanations. The present study aimed to specify, besides the effectiveness of the strategies, whether they affect learning equally and which one has the most positive effect on learning comparing others. To this end, using a pre-experimental research design, and applying a test–teach–retest paradigm, consistent with the interventionist approach to DA, intervention (teaching strategies) was performed in six phases in a group of 30 elementary students, who were randomly selected, to specify the effectiveness of the strategies. In the seventh session, employing a true-experimental design, 15 students received detailed score reporting as one of the strategies supposed to have positive washback effect while the other 15 students were provided with other strategies (simple hints and different prompts). The analysis of t-tests indicated that all learners made score gains in posttests in all phases, however, the experimental group, who received detailed description of the test, benefited significantly compared to the control group, who received other strategies. As the strategies used during dynamic assessment and consequences of detailed score reporting can be beneficial for both testers and learners, this type of assessment and the given strategy is recommended. This study further discusses the significance of the findings in the context of testing and learning.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Dynamic Assessment, Language learning, Language testing, strategies, washback effect, interventionist approach

Kaynakça

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• Table Correlations between Pre- and Post-test 3 N 30 .941 000 Table Paired samples t-test for the participants’ performance on Pre- and Post-test 3 Paired Sample Test Paired Differences t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper -03333 06620 19466 -43146 -63521 -583 29 000
• Table Descriptive statistics for the performance on Pre- and Post-test 4. N 30 30 9667 04237 37288 Post-test
• Table Correlations between Pre- and Post-test 4. N 30 Correlation 871 Sig. 000 Table Paired samples t-test the participants’ group’s performance on Pre- and Post-test 4 Paired Sample Test Paired Differences Std. Error Mean t df Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper -46667 16658 21299 -90228 -03106 -276 29 000
• Table Descriptive statistics for the performance on Pre- and Post-test 5 N 30 30 2667 77984 32495 Post-test
• Table Correlations between Pre- and Post-test 5. N 30 Correlation 917 Sig. 000 Table Paired samples t-test for the participants’ performance on Pre- and Post-test 5 Paired Sample Test Paired Differences Std. Error Mean t df Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper -60000 00344 18320 -97469 -22531 -650 29 000
• Table 10. Descriptive statistics for the performance on Pre- and Post-test 6. N 30 30 6000 47625 26952 Post-test
• Table 11. Correlations between Pre- and Post-test 6. N 30 Correlation 0.817 Sig. 0.000 Table 12. Paired samples t-test for the participants’ performance on Pre- and Post-test 6. Paired Sample Test Paired Differences Std. Error Mean t df Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper -70000 17884 21523 -14018 -25982 -191 29 000 Appendix B
• Table Descriptive statistics for experimental group. N 15 15 8000 47358 38048 Post-test
• Table Correlations between Pre- and Post-test for experimental group. N 15 Correlation 850 Sig. 000 Table Paired samples t-test for experimental group. Paired Sample Test Paired Differences Std. Error Mean t df Sig. (2- tailed) Mean Std. Deviation 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper -20000 37321 35456 -96046 -43954 -666 14 0.000
• Table Descriptive statistics for control group. N 15 15 2667 28244 58932 Post-test
• Table Correlations between Pre- and Post-test for control group. N 15 Correlation 953 Sig. 000 Table Paired samples t-test for the control group. Paired Sample Test Paired Differences t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Std. Deviation Mean the Difference Lower Upper -13333 74322 19190 -54492 -72175 -117 14 000