Investigation of Improving Pre-service Teachers’ Competence for Formative Assessment Aligned with Primary English Classroom Activities

Investigation of Improving Pre-service Teachers’ Competence for Formative Assessment Aligned with Primary English Classroom Activities

The purpose of this study is to suggest ways of improving learners’ communicative competence through formative assessment aligned with classroom activities for pre-service teachers. To achieve this, four pre-service teachers’ lesson plans designed for the fifth and sixth graders in the lecture of Primary English Methodology were analyzed in terms of the criteria of analyzing focusing on formative assessment. It was found in the results of analyzing lesson plans that 1) pre-service teachers did not appropriately design learning objectives to promote student motivation, 2) all of the pre-service teachers did not design self-assessment, although only one pre-service teacher designed peer-assessment such as “Let’s check partner’s listening skill!”, and 3) all of them did not give feedback systematically to improve learners’ communicative competence, and carry out formative assessment within 5 minutes in the closing stage of primary English classes. From the findings, it was suggested that 1) pre-service teachers need to design strategies for sharing learning targets and criteria for success based on formative assessment, 2) they need to set up lesson objectives based on formative assessment aligned with primary English classroom activities, 3) they need to prepare assessment checklists or sheets for assessment for learning (AFL), considering key competences and skills, 4) they need to consider the core strategies in designing and implementing formative assessment, and 5) they need to give immediate feedback to the learners considering the results of ongoing assessment and key competences as well as accomplishment standards of the 2015 Revised English National Curriculum.