Learning-Oriented Reading Assessment: A Design for EFL Students

Abstract

Learning-oriented reading assessment (LORA) has expanded multiple views of assessment for learning reading. Most EFL reading assessment contexts tended not to utilise feedback and self-assessment for the redesign of authentic tasks and tests. This mixed-methods study investigated how LORA enhanced EFL students’ reading after the implementation of LORA. Participants consist of sixty-seven tenth Grade Thai students from the urban public school. They were divided into two groups, including 32 students for the LORA group and 35 students for the control group. The reading test was designed to compare post-test scores of both groups and was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test. In addition to perceptions on assessment, only those in the LORA group responded to the LORA questionnaire to give their perceptions of the assessment, and the three highest-ranking and the three lowest-ranking students were selected for the semi-structured interviews to explore five aspects of the design, including task, test, teacher’s observation, feedback, and redesign. Findings from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics whereas the semi-structured interview was categorized through thematic analysis. Although there was no statistically significant difference between groups, students in the LORA group tended to gain higher scores on reading after participating in the study. They perceived positively on the implementation. Implications indicated connecting reading assessment and feedback for learning with authentic tasks and tests.