PART 1 : WRITTEN REPORT ON CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

Report by Santha Nair d/o Chandran (89071043-5074/123945) In the TSL3112 Language assessment assignment, part 1 requires us to work in pairs to observe an English Teacher teaching. During the observation we were required to look into the test type demonstrated by the teacher in any language skills or language content whereby critically reporting that test type in the essence of the four principles of language assessment. Apart from that, we were required to look into the strengths and weaknesses of the test itself and provide improvement suggestions to make it more effective. My pair and I had difficulty observing an English teacher teaching at our practical school. The main problem was none of the teachers allowed us to enter their class to observe their lesson even though we did ask permission and guaranteed would not record the lesson by using audio or video vice. However, our pled was rejected as two of the most experienced English teachers disappointed us. Therefore, as a solution we decided to take our friend, Chua Sow Ann, video recording of an English teacher teaching at Sekolah Kebangsaan Losong, Kuala Terengganu. Based on the interview done with my friend regarding the recording given, it is learnt that this particular English teacher was teaching Year 1 with the new KSSR (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah) syllabus with the Unit 22 - In the Garden. The main language skill that was been assessed here was writing but I find that the teacher which is a male also used to test the pupils by asking them questions and the pupils answers verbally. For writing assessment, he used the standardized activity book given by the government entitle English Year 1 Sekolah Kebangsaan Acitivity book Part 2, page 105 and 107. Furthermore, the pupils were in the range of mixed abilities.

TSL 3112 LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

PART 1 : WRITTEN REPORT ON CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

Nevertheless, after watching through the video recording and looking through the pictures, the test type that has been employed by the teacher was diagnostic test. According the H. Douglas B. and Priyanwada A. (2010) in Language Assessment: Principles and classroom Practices, it is stated that this particular type of test includes the purpose of diagnosing aspects of language that the pupils need to develop. Normally, it does have a set of checklist like a reference and it does elicit information for the pupils to need to work on. Based on my observation, I can identify that the informations that were given were the words that the teacher wrote on the white board (refer picture number) which replaces the pictures for the pupils to write in full sentences in legible print. At the end of the lesson the teacher marks the pupils work by checking on the spelling and the writing of his pupils. This particular assessment which is based on diagnostic test does highlight the four man principles of language assessment which are practicality, reliability, validity and even authenticity. It is very practical in the sense of time and cost of the test. I do say so because each and every pupil in the national schools in Malaysia does have the activity book and it is a must to use it. Therefore it does save the teachers money in making worksheets which might need a lot of photocopying and even printing. Furthermore, it is practical in the sense where since it is owned by everyone, it saves the teachers time in preparing any worksheets for the test. Since it is given by the ministry of education, the material availability is appropriately utilized. The assessment is practical in the sense of time, cost and utility. Secondly, reliability in assessment. In the activity it is written that the editorial panels are of the Malaysian Ministry of Education. Therefore, I strongly believe the materials or exercises for assessments in the activity book are reliable. Furthermore, it is has items in them which are not ambiguous for the test takers as it follows the national text books and the lessons taught by the teacher itself. That makes it confidently more reliable. Student-rated reliability can be overcome but however the exercise taken from the activity book is definitely high test reliability. I do say so because there is no biasness in it whereby the same question is done by the pupils and furthermore the sight words are written down by the teacher on the white board.

TSL 3112 LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

PART 1 : WRITTEN REPORT ON CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

The only thing that the teacher has to take into account is the hand writing of the pupils with correct spelling in legible print. Nevertheless, it is definitely reliable. In the sense of validity, I could say the exercise in the activity book is valid in the sense of content related evidence. It is because it is based on the language skill that wanted to be assessed which is writing where it measures exactly what the proposes to measure. Furthermore it relies on the empirical evidence which is the pupils evidence. I do say so because the lines are given for the pupils to write, the teacher could use that as a test to look into the pupils writing in legible print and it gives the teacher meaningful information about the pupils penmanship which needed to be focused on. Conclusively, validity is lined in the assessment. The fourth principle that can be highlighted is authenticity. The situations used for the questions in the activity book are based on the pupils real life experience which is in the garden. The real experience are contextualized which makes it authentic for the pupils and it provides a storyline which gives a thematic organization. All in all authenticity plays an important role of an assessment. Over all I can say that the strength of the test is that it is definitely practical, reliable, valid which is legal whereby it is by the ministry of education and even authentic. One main weakness is that the lines in the activity book are very small and limited space to write. Apart from that when the teacher asks the pupils to name the animals to be written on the whiteboard, it is best the pupils spell the words with the correct sound. My suggestion for improvement here would be that the teacher should retype out the exercise and give more space for the lines so that the pupils could write better and their penmanship could be improved. Furthermore, the pupils should be given the chance to know the spelling either the pupils spell out the word with correct pronunciation or the teacher spells the word out loud while writing it out on the whiteboard.

TSL 3112 LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

PART 1 : WRITTEN REPORT ON CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

In conclusion, the activity book covers the basic principles of language assessment which are practicality, reliability, validity and authenticity. Nevertheless, the assessment could have been better. (1114 words)

TSL 3112 LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT