THE CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT FOR READING COMPREHENSION : A Case Study at an MAN in Makassar.

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1. The features of large-scale and classroom-based assessment .. 22

Table 2.2. The classroom assessment options ... 24

Table 2.3. The questions for interview in reading assessment ... 32

Table 4.1. Reading skills and level of comprehension ... 63

Table 4.2. Techniques used by the respondents in assessing reading comprehension ... 68

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LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1. The Questionnaire Guide for Teachers ... 88

Appendix 2. The Interview Quide for Teachers ... 92

Appendix 3. The Result of Teachers’ Interview ... 93

Appendix 4. Field Notes on Teaching Reading ... 107

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This study attempts to investigate the classroom-based assessment for reading comprehension, i.e. the way English teachers assess their students’ reading comprehension through classroom-based assessment. This chapter presents the background of the study, research questions, the objective of the study, scope and limitation of the study, significance of the study, and thesis organisation.

1.1 Background of the Study

Reading comprehension and listening have become the main material of National English Examination in Indonesia since 2006. The score achieved by the students in the examination should be used to judge whether the students have or no have a good competence in English especially in the reading and listening skills. Then, it is stated whether the students can graduate or not. If they reach the score determined nationally by the government, they will graduate from a certain level. On the other hand, if they do not reach the determined score, then they will be fail to continue their study in the next level. This is not so fair because the success of students’ learning, in this case, English subject, is determined based on one assessment, National Examination as one of large scale standardized test.

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examination only. Meanwhile, the teachers think that they are the right ones who should judge the quality of students because they teach them everyday. At least, the result of assessment conducted both by the government and teachers are compromised. Some educators think that such state-mandated test constricts curriculum and force teachers to “teach to the test,” thereby reducing the quality of instruction rather than enhancing it (McNeil, 2000 cited in Jia et al 2006:3).

Other issues related to the implementation of state-mandated test as a measurements are that such test needs high cost and the unfairness of some school institutions in conducting the test. As Fajar (28th April 2008), one of a daily newspaper in Makassar, reports that there are four cities in Indonesia: Batam, Solo, Makassar, and Deli Serdan where the teachers manipulate National Examination 2008 by giving the key answer to students.

Due to the power of the tests, some teachers teach their students for the test. In formal schools, they teach skills and strategies how to pass the tests, just like a test preparation class. In addition, some teachers seem to seperate classroom assessment and instruction. Even, according to Sari (2007:423) that as a teacher trainer, she found that some teachers rarely make their own tests to evaluate their students’ aptitudes. They just use tests provided on the textbooks without any review whether the tests test what they have taught. Some others simplify their tests in order their students can achieve higher score with less work and effort.

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that teachers use their judgments about children’s knowledge, understand how to include feedback in the teaching process, decide how to meet students’ varying learning needs (Tunstall & Gipps, 1995), and learn how to share decision making about learning and teaching with colleagues, parents, and students (Stiggins, 1977; Gipps, 1994).

According to (Rosner et al, 1981 cited in Arthaud et al, 2000) standardized, norm-referenced measures of reading skill were found to be administered at least once each year, and provided the only means of assessment used to evaluate student progress. These authors supported the use of such measures for analysis of group performance, but did not advocate them as the only measure of progress as the complexity of the reading process cannot be summarized by a single score. Further, Klingner (2004) states that “such traditional measures of reading comprehension only provide a general indication of how well a student understands the text, failing to provide information about how the students uses cognitive and met cognitive process or sufficiently explain why a student may be struggling”.

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teacher’s time and arguably have a greater impact on instruction and pupil learning than do the formal measurement procedures’.

Classroom-based assessments are seen as helpful because they give a more immediate measure of progress and achievement of students, guide and improve instruction, and diagnose student knowledge of a topic (Hurley & Tinajero, 2001; Short, 1993), provide day-to-day help with teaching and learning, which is the core and base for attaining excellence in education and school improvement (Stiggins, 1999), as well as help teachers find the weaknesses and strengths of their instruction and encourage them to continuously search for better ways to teach (Shepard, 1995 cited in Jia, et al, 2006). More specifically, in relation to reading comprehension, classroom-based assessment have a greater ability to measure complex reading tasks in a contextualized setting and can provide ample information about the use of reading strategies and skills by students (Garcia & Pearson, 1994). Since classroom-based assessments are individually oriented, they run less risk of suffering from the cultural bias to which state-mandated standardized test are prone.

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competence. In order to know and assure competency, learning must be assessed either in terms of the process or the product of the learning.

A language assessment is to measure the students’ ability to use the language. This because people learn a language to be able to use the language. Brown (1994), Sato & Kleinsasser (1999) cited in Andika Sari (2007) propose “students ultimately have to use the language, productively and receptively”. Thus, the learners need to be assessed in the actual use of the language in performance.

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In relation to the power of classroom-based reading assessment as has

been discussed above, this study is proposed to examine how English teachers assess the students’ reading comprehension in the classroom.

1.2 Research Questions

This study formulates the problems in the following research questions: 1. To what extent do English teachers understand classroom-based

reading assessment?

2. What techniques do English teachers employ in assessing reading comprehension?

3. How do English teachers construct classroom-based reading assessments?

1.3 The Objectives of the Study

Based on the research questions mentioned above, this study is designed, 1. to investigate the teachers’ understanding of classroom-based reading assessment.

2. to find the techniques that the teachers employ in assessing reading comprehension.

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1.4 The Scope and The Limitation of the Study

This study attempts to investigate the three English teachers who teach English at a Madrasah Aliyah Negeri in Makassar. More specifically, this study describes teachers’ understanding of classroom-based reading assessment which covers the assessment purpose, the timing of assessment, and assessed skills, what kinds of classroom-based reading assessment technique employed in assessing students’ reading comprehension which consists of teacher-made and student-conducted method, and analyzing the way of English teachers in constructing the classroom-based reading assessment which consists of what sources used by the teachers in designing reading assessment instruments and methods for providing feedback.

1.5 The Significance of the Study

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1.6 Thesis Organization

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH

This chapter describes methodology aspects of the present study which attempts to find information about the teachers’ understanding of classroom-based reading assessment, the techniques employed by the teachers in assessing reading comprehension, and the way the teachers construct classroom-based reading assessment. Three main methodology aspects of the study are discussed, i.e. first, research design, second, data collection method, and third, data analysis. Data collection method consists of questionnaire, interview, observation, and document analysis.

3.1 Research Design

The present study is qualitative in nature. It concerns a detailed description of situation. The data are collected in natural setting without being manipulated. Every detail of data contributes to a better understanding of behavior. The data focuses on process, and participants’ item of view is essential. Therefore, the objective of qualitative research is to understand participants from their items of view (McMilla, 1989). To have a good understanding of a process, such a study needs observing, describing, and interpreting (Lynch, 1996).

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3.2 Data Collection

This study employs some data collection methods, i.e. observation, interview, questionnaire, and document analysis (see Gray, 1990). The data collection started from 1st to 28th February 2009. The data were obtained from the three English teachers of an MAN in Makasar as participants of this study. They were chosen as participants of this study because the researcher has a good access to them. They teach English at different grades. Two of them have been teaching English for more than ten years, and one of them has been teaching English for more than five years. All the data collected were recorded in order to keep the authenticity of the data.

3.2.1 Questionnaire

Questionnaire was used to get the main data. The questionnaire was aimed to answer three research questions, i.e. the teachers’ understanding of classroom-based reading assessment, the techniques employed by the teachers in assessing reading comprehension, and the way the teachers construct classroom-based reading assessment.

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3.2.2 Interview

Interview is a major source of qualitative data needed for understanding the phenomenon under focus. Interview is used to obtain specific information or data. Merriam (1988:72 quoted in Sary, 2006:49) suggests that “interviewing is necessary when the research cannot observe behavior, feelings, or how people interpret the world around them”. Meanwhile, Maxwell (1966: 76) says that “interviewing can be a valuable way, the only way, for events that took place in the past or ones to which you cannot gain observational access of gaining a description of actions and events. These can provide additional information that was missed in observation and can be used to check the accuracy of the observation”.

In this study, interview was carried out as a complement to the questionnaire. According to Alwasilah (2000) interview should be conducted in accordance with the researcher’s need. Interview was carried out either to answer research questions number 1 and 2 or to check the accuracy – to verify or refute – the impressions the researcher has gained from the questionnaire (Fraenkle and Wallen, 2000:509 cited in Gendroyono, 2006).

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subsequent questions which were conversational. The interview was recorded. Thus, the interviewee’s contribution can be analyzed after the interview.

The interview was conducted individually to the three English teachers. The interview for respondent 1 took place on February 10th, 2009 at 01.00-02.45 p.m in language laboratorium. The interview for respondent 2 took place on February 16th, 2009 at 01.00-02.45 p.m in language laboratorium, and the interview for respondent 3 took place on February 16th, 2009 at 08.00-09.45 a.m in the teacher’s room. The interview guide can be seen in Appendix 2, and the results of teachers’ interview in Appendix 3.

3.2.3 Observation

To validate the data gained from questionnaire and interview, class observation was carried out.Through observation researcher would get some data that cannot be acquired through questionnaire or interview such as participants’ tacit understanding and how theory-in-use ( see Maxwell 1996:76). Furthermore, he also clarifies that “observation often enables a researcher to draw inferences about someone’s meaning and perspective that he could not obtain by relying exclusively on interview data”.

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learning process. The researcher used field notes since the students’ attention was distracted when they were videotaped.

The observation was carried out to three classes during three sessions for each class. The observation was conducted when the teachers were teaching reading. The classes were observed carefully until the researcher was able to identify how the teachers assessed the students after teaching reading. The file notes of the observation can be seen in Appendix 4.

3.2.4 Document Analysis

Document collection was done to enrich the data obtained during the research. As Glaser and Strrauss (1967) cited in Natalina (2007:36) state that the data found in document can be used in the same manner as data from interview or observation. The data can furnish descriptive information, verify emerging hypothesis, advance new categories and hypothesis, offer historical understanding, track change and development, and so on. The document data were taken from the materials used by the teachers, list of score, students’ work. The results of the documentantion can be seen in Appendix 5

3.3 Data analysis

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three main central theme, i.e. the teachers’ understanding of classroom-based reading assessment, the techniques employed by the teachers in assessing reading comprehension, and the way the teachers construct classroom-based reading assessment.

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part presents the conclusion of the study as the answers to the research problems; teachers’ understanding of classroom-based reading assessment, techniques employed by teachers in classroom-based reading assessment, and the way the teachers construct classroom-based reading assessment. The second part deals with the suggestions which are relevant to this study. The suggestions are addresed to further research, teacher, government, and textbooks writer.

5.1 Conclusions

This research focuses on how English teachers at a Madrasah Aliyah Negeri in Makassar carry out the classroom-based assessment for reading comprehension. It addresses the questions to what extent the teachers understand the classroom-based reading assessment, what techniques the teachers employ in assessing their students’ reading comprehension, and how the teachers construct classroom-based reading assessment.

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order that they pay more attention to the materials in this case as a motivation for the students. To know whether the purposes are achieved, the teachers used standard score. The teachers also claim that the purpose of classroom-based assessment is different from the purpose of large scale standardized test in assessing reading comprehension. The teachers believe that the classroom-based reading assessment will better enable the students to have good ability in reading comprehension than the large scale standardized test.

In terms of assessment timing, the teachers carry out reading assessment periodically, i.e. after teaching one topic (daily test), in mid-semester, and in final test. The teachers believe that conducting reading assessment frequently will be better for the students because it will train them more in constructing meanings in the texts. Through frequently reading assessment, the students may do more interaction with the printed texts.

In assessing the students’ reading comprehension, the teachers tend to assess some reading skills, i.e. vocabulary, sentence translation, sentence structure, identification of both explicit and implicit information, and drawing the content of the reading text (literal and interpretive comprehension). From the six reading skills, the teachers are very familiar to assess vocabulary.

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Third, this research shows that in the way the teachers construct classroom-based reading assessment, the teachers claim to take assessment instruments from other sources and they modify them. Nevertheless, based on observation and document analysis, the teachers mostly assess their students’ reading comprehension by having the students do various exercises or tasks provided on the textbooks. The teachers hardly made any attempts to design different tasks as other assessment instruments. The teachers seem to lack creativity in designing assessment instruments for classroom-based reading assessment. The teachers give feedback to students after carrying out reading assessment in the form of student’s conference, checklist, and score.

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an implementer of other peoples’ creation towards the idea of the teacher as an active creator of his or her own materials, classroom activities.

In assessing students’ reading comprehension, teachers are familiar with multiple choice questions and short answer questions. This happens because the respondents have endeavored to make students accustomed to do multiple choice questions so that the students will be familiar with the technique in the future National Examination.

5.2 Suggestions

This section offers both methodological and practical suggestions. These suggestions are expected to improve the area of teaching reading, especially on the process of assessment. First, the methodology suggestions concern the sample and focus of this study. The present study only involves three English teachers from one school. Further research may include more than three teachers from different schools. The focus of the present study only on investigating how the teachers carry out classroom-based reading assessment. Further research is expected not only investigate the way teachers carry out classroom-based reading assessment but also investigate either students’ responses towards the such assessment or the impact of the assessment in improving students’ achievement in reading comprehension.

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should realize their professional development. It is important that they keep improving themselves by reading books, attending seminars or workshops that discuss how to teach reading including the assessment procedures that is suitable for increasing students’ reading comprehension.

The practical suggestion is also addressed to the government. To obtain the utmost outcome in the program of teaching reading at Senior High School generally and at Islamic Senior High School particularly, it needs to be professionally managed and implemented. Hence there should be standard criteria that must be fulfilled by the teachers who are going to teach English at Islamic Senior High School. The criteria is hoped to be achieved through teachers and lectures’ certification. It is hoped that the national examination is not only one assessment to judge students’ successful especially in teaching reading. Thus teachers teach reading not for the sake of leading their students to pass in the national examination. But they teach reading in order that the students may construct meanings of what they read.

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