An Action Research Of Formative Evaluation In English Writing Teaching Of Senior School

Evaluation is critical in language education. Evaluation, if process-oriented, gives teachers information timely about the effect of their teaching and their students" learning and also makes the students aware of their performance in and out class. However, the role of evaluation has long been distorted and tests are the only means of evaluation; and the score is the only criteria for evaluating performance of learning and teaching. This traditional means of evaluation fails to reflect students'day-to-day performance in study; and it overemphasizes quantitative analysis in terms of score and ignores students' practical ability and attitude during the process of learning.This paper reports an action research on writing teaching which is based on the theory of formative evaluation. The action research was conducted by the author in the class in an experimental school with the aim to develop the students'interest and ability in English writing, cultivate their active attitude towards English writing, and improve the results of English writing. This action research was divided into three stages. The first stage was mainly carried out the necessary preparation and applied the formative assessment to first practice:The students discussed and made standards and requirements of English assignments for self-assessment and peer-assessment, and carried on the classroom practice. Based on the analysis of the problems of the first stage, the second stage was carried out after adjustment and completion of the standards and requirements of English assignments for self-assessment and peer-assessment. The third stage was mainly the third classroom practice on the analysis and summary of the first two practices. Through the analysis of the data which was collected by various means, it is found that after half a year's action research using formative assessment in English writing teaching, positive changes took place in students'interest in and attitudes to English writing; what's more, the students' abilities in English writing was raised and their writing performances were upgraded. But in consideration of the limitations and insufficiency in practicing the theory, the action research needs to be furthered and improved.