English language teachers' beliefs and practices of using continuous assessment: preparatory schools in IIu Abba Bora Zone in focus

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to investigate English language teachers' beliefs and the practice of using continuous assessment. Participants of the study were Grade 11 and 12 English language teachers and students of the same grade. Twenty-two teachers and 181 students took part in the study. Participants, teachers and students, were selected using census and random sampling techniques respectively. This descriptive survey study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods to collect and analyze the data. The study used instruments such as questionnaires, interviews, classroom lesson observation, daily lesson plan and assessment checklist. Findings indicated that the teachers had strong beliefs about continuous assessment, and the relationship between the teachers' beliefs and their actual continuous assessment practices was negative statistically. The data obtained through triangulation indicated that teachers did put their beliefs into practice. Therefore, it is recommended that to clear up with implementation barriers teacher support materials are crucial, and to broaden teachers' understanding training directed to continuous assessment is essential.