Changing the way we assess our studentsPortfolio assessment

Magdalena Batevska and Nina Daskalovska

Goce Delchev University
Introduction
Assessment is an essential component of the school curriculum and it has a significant impact on the teaching and learning process.
Some teachers associate assessment with standard test and therefore rely solely on tests as evidence of students knowledge and
abilities. Unfortunately, this often leads to students being over-examined (Hackett 2001, as cited in Klenowski 2002: 2). The new
trends in teaching that have emerged in the last 20 years entail using alternative forms of assessment such as portfolio assessment. A
portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of the students efforts, progress or achievement in a given area
(Arter and Spandel 1992: 36). Portfolios support learning and assist teachers in monitoring learners development and in giving
formative and summative feedback. What distinguishes portfolios from other forms of assessment is that students can see their own
progress, take pride in it and assume more responsibility for their own learning. Portfolios also promote self- and peer-evaluation along
with the development of reflective and critical-thinking skills.

Methodology

Research questions:
How familiar are English teachers in Macedonia with portfolio assessment?
To what extent do they implement portfolio assessment as an additional form of
assessment?
What are some of the most remarkable differences between test and portfolios
based on the teachers attitudes and experiences?
What are some of the drawbacks of using portfolios in the language classroom?

Results

Figure 1. Level of familiarity, training and implementation of portfolios

The participants were 59 primary and secondary

school English teachers in three towns in Macedonia.
A questionnaire was distributed to each teacher and
the completed questionnaires were collected the next
day. The questionnaire consisted of 3 sections: a)
teachers familiarity with portfolios, level of training
and implementation; b) questions related to the
differences between standard tests and portfolios; c)
possible drawbacks of using portfolios

Figure 2. Differences between standard tests and portfolios

Conclusion
The results of this study reveal that primary and high school
teachers in Macedonia are well-aware of the growing need for
supplementing standard tests procedure with portfolios as an
alternative way of assessment and the benefits for learners.
However, not all teachers are properly trained to implement
portfolio assessment and it is not used by the majority of teachers
in secondary schools. The results suggest that there is a need for
training teachers how to implement portfolio assessment and for
encouraging them to incorporate alternative ways of assessing
learners.

References:

Figure 3. Drawbacks of using portfolio assessment

Klenowski, V. (2002). Developing portfolios for learning and

assessment: Processes and principles. RoutledgeFalmer: London
Arter, J. & Spandel, V. (1992). Using portfolios of student work in
instruction and assessment. Educational Measurement: Issues and
Practice, 11(1), 36-44.