An Investigation On Hinders And Problems Of The Implementation Of Formative Assessment In Senior High Schools

Assessment is an important part of English curriculum. Scientific assessment system guarantees the realization of curriculum goals. However, for a long time, ELT in China has overemphasized summative assessment and has brought negative effects. In order to establish a sound assessment system, new English Curriculum Standards (2003) points out: multiple participants and diversified forms should be involved in the assessment system; formative and summative assessment should be combined together in order to focus on both results and process; formative assessment should be emphasized, especially its positive effects on students'development.Formative assessment promotes the process of teaching and learning by providing feedback. It provides opportunities for students to make self-improvement. It lets students experience progress and success. Thus it is helpful to cultivate students'interests and to enhance motivation and confidence.It has been four years since the new curriculum was carried out. But there are few researches on the implementation of formative assessment in senior high schools. This thesis aims to investigate the implementation of formative assessment from the following three aspects:teachers'and students'attitudes towards formative assessment, formative tools and methods used in senior English teaching and learning, problems and hinders in the process of implementing formative assessment.This paper first reviews relevant concepts of assessment, comparison between formative and summative assessments, and then introduces in detail the classification, characteristics, principles, tools and methods, and then relevant theoretical foundations are presented, including humanism and constructivist learning theory. After that, three senior high schools in Changchun are selected as subjects, and then investigation is made to know hinders and problems in the implementation of formative assessment.Through investigation and analysis, some problems are discovered: teachers have been the subjects of formative assessment, students and parents have not been effectively involved; multiple tools and methods of formative assessment have not been widely used, especially portfolios; assessment still focuses on test scores, etc. Besides, through interviewing some teachers, the major hinders why formative assessment has not been effectively implemented include: the impact and constrains of the college entrance examination; the complex and difficult tools and methods; insufficient support from relevant departments; the problems within formative assessment system itself, etc.In the end, suggestions are put forward for the effective implementation of formative assessment in senior high schools. The suggestions are proposed respectively for how to implement formative assessment, for relevant administrative departments, and for senior English teachers. They are as the following: combing formative and summative assessments and giving priority to formative assessment; making full use of various formative methods and tools; embodying students'subject status in assessment; emphasizing the feedback effects of assessment results; relevant administrative departments'enhancement of teacher training and strength; senior English teachers'updating of teaching idea and communicating with colleagues.