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Description
Learning-oriented assessment (LOA) is a highly integrative and holistic approach in assessment that aims at promoting student learning. A growing body of research was conducted to investigate LOA as a general concept; however, little research focuses on clear strategies needed for teachers to implement this assessment approach in class. To shed light on this aspect, the present study was undertaken to explore to what extent English teachers in Vietnamese secondary schools believe in LOA and their practices of LOA in their teaching contexts before offering guidelines for the successful implementation of LOA. To this end, a mixed-method study was carried out with the participation of 104 secondary teachers in Vietnam. A 56-item Likert-scale questionnaire was first developed and distributed to secondary teachers of English in the community. The findings indicated that Vietnamese secondary teachers recognized the utmost importance of LOA and reached a consensus that this approach can help enhance learning. On the other hand, they could not effectively implement some of the principles of LOA on a frequent basis. Further in-depth interviews with the respondents revealed significant personal, contextual, and organizational challenges hindering efficient practices such as time constraints, large class size, insufficient training, and heavy exam-oriented culture. The research results, therefore, suggest a need to fully equip teachers with the knowledge and practical skills of LOA and clear the hurdles at different levels to boost language assessment effectiveness.
Keywords: Learning-oriented assessment (LOA), English teachers, secondary schools, beliefs, practices
