Do Students Feel that they are Assessed Properly?

Abstract

As each and every language learner is subject to assessment, a sound and valid assessment plays a pivotal role in foreign language education. This study focuses on how assessment is perceived by English as a foreign language (EFL) students in the Turkish EFL context with the participation of 481 EFL students from 24 K-12 level schools and 8 universities. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, and the data were collected through a questionnaire, follow-up interview, and observation. The results showed that the students were not satisfied with the assessment practices and they did not feel like they were assessed. It was also observed that the traditional approach focusing on the formal properties of English was commonly practiced while assessing the students. Moreover, it was found that the assessment quality in the schools was low and it was taken as a formal requirement to grade students. The final part of the paper suggests the need for a comprehensive teacher-training in assessment to increase the assessment literacy of English teachers.