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Lunchtime Workshop:

Dr. Andrew Finch

Promoting Attitude Change through School-Based Assessment: A Practical Guide

M. C. Escher: Belvedere: 1958

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Start With a Cartoon

Curriculum Goals

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Attitudes and Learning

Learning is the process of changing behaviour in a positive direction. Rogers, C.R. (1951). On Becoming a Person. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Attitudes to learning and the perceptions and beliefs which determine them, have a profound influence on … learning behaviour. Cotterall, S. (1995b). Readiness for autonomy: investigating learner beliefs. System 23/2, pp. 195-205.

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Mistaken Beliefs

Mistaken or uninformed beliefs about language learning may lead to dependence on less effective strategies, resulting in: indifference toward learning, poor cognitive performance, classroom anxiety a negative attitude to autonomy

(Victori & Lockhart, 1995, p. 225).

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Attitude Gaps

Beliefs (and attitudes) differing from those of the teacher can lead to: frustration, dissatisfaction with the course, unwillingness to perform communicative activities, lack of confidence in the teacher, impeded achievement

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Belief = Reality

Bp p; BBp p⇒ ⇒

Every learner has a self-schemata of self-confirming “truths” about his/her learning.

“I believe that I am a poor learner.” “English is too difficult.”“I cannot speak English.”

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acknowledge and respect students’ attitudes, beliefs, and expectations

help them overcome any harmful perceptions and blocks,

enhance students’ awareness of their personal weaknesses and strengths and of their task/strategic knowledge.

(Mantle-Bromley 1995, pp. 381-383; Peacock, 1998, p. 125).

Teachers therefore need to:

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Teacher Beliefs and Attitudes

Not until we have taken a hard critical look at the attitudes and motivation of teachers, both individually and as a profession, will we be ready to determine what obstacles lie in the way of creating the kinds of learning environments which would be most helpful to our students.

(Sauvignon, 1976, p. 296)

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Time for Another Cartoon

Global Issues

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Now the whole question of the educator’s role in dealing with planetary crisis becomes prominent. (O’Sullivan, 2001, p. 46)

Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war. (Montessori, cited in McCarthy [Ed.], 2001, p. 35)

Global Issues

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• Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. (H. G. Wells: http://www.quotationspage.com)

• Education becomes a meaningless endeavour unless the education acquired has some impact on the human condition. (Pine & Boy 1977: 237)  

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How can CBA/SBA help?

Classroom-Based Assessment is a sound, meaningful method of evaluating and improving the learning that occurs in our classrooms.

Its purpose is to investigate and enhance learning by carrying out ongoing, student-centered, non-threatening, formative assessment.

This helps teachers to discover what has been learned, and to identify areas which need further attention.

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Types of CBA/SBA

classroom needs analyses reflection on classroom dynamics and teaching methods test-item making task-based test-items portfolio assessment learner journals and diaries performance assessment project-based assessment web-based assessment student-centred test-design self-assessment

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Classroom Needs Analyses

CBA/SBA includes everything in the learning environment.

Even before we start to think about assessing the students, we can look at that environment:

Is it user-friendly? Does it promote cooperation or competition? Is it motivational? Does it promote self-esteem? What are the teacher’s needs? What are the students’ needs?

The Non-threatening Learning Environment:

[there is] considerable evidence to support the general proposition that the nature of classroom environments does have an important influence on students’ achievement of cognitive and attitudinal goals … often beyond that attributable to student characteristics such as pretest performance, general ability or both.

(Ely, 1986, p. 118)

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Teacher-Reflection.

ChecklistsTeacher-JournalsObservation (colleague)Observation (video)Classroom environment Student perceptions and attitude change

Conclusions

Use of learner journals, portfolios, self/peer-assessment, student-based test-design, and self/peer oral assessment, led to positive attitude change.

This change was evident in journal entries, in interviews, and in written feedback about the relevant courses.

Positive attitude change was also seen in increased confidence, motivation and autonomy.

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Resource Materials

PowerPoint Presentations:http://www.finchpark.com/ppp/

Videos about CBA/SBA:http://www.finchpark.com/videos/

Assessment Sheets:http://www.finchpark.com/courses/sheets.htm

Contact:aef@knu.ac.kr

Thank You!

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