Assessment Aspects in the Master of Second Level in Foreign Language Teaching

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of assessment practices in students’ final grade in the course Teaching Methodology, a subject in the Master of Second Level (MSL) program in foreign language teaching in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Tirana University, more specifically in English and Italian branch (N = 247). The sample was chosen based on convenience. In order to judge on the impact of: lecture attendance, seminar attendance, portfolio assignments, course assignment and final examination, was kept rigorous evidence of the points collected from students for each of the above aspects of assessment throughout the first semester of the academic year 2010-2011. By processing and analyzing the data, it resulted that from the statistical point of view, these assessment components exhibit significant positive relationship with the final grade in this subject, namely: lecture attendance (.53), seminar attendance (.72), portfolio assignments (.72), course assignment (.67) and final exam (.70). Likewise, these variables positively predict the final grade of the course. In particular, lecture attendance (R2 = 21.2 %), and the course assignment (R2 = 9.1 %) proved to be predictive of the final grade. Furthermore, portfolio assessment (R2 = 9.7 %) affects positively the final achievements because it is a way of inviting students to learn systematically and practically and an opportunity for the lecturer to assess students based on their output.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n2p245