A Research On Performance Assessment Used In English Project Based Learning In Grade7

The new National curriculum is published in2011aiming to cultivatestudents’ comprehensive ability. Project Based Learning (PBL) is introduced intoEnglish teaching and learning to fit the new National curriculum. Withtwo-year’s application in real teaching, PBL is becoming familiar among theEnglish teachers of junior middle school. However, there are very few studies onapplying Performance assessment to project learning in Junior English learningand teaching. Therefore, this study searches to find out whether the applicationof performance assessment to project learning in Junior English learning andteaching can improve students’English comprehensive capacity.By action research paradigm, this study explores the model andimplementation of the results of performance assessment in junior middle schoolEnglish Project Based Learning.First, based on the literature research on performance assessment at homeand abroad and the interview with front-line teachers about performanceassessment in their practice and the plight therefore, summarize the effectiveways to solve the present problems about performance assessment. Then,summarize and conclude the impact usage of PBL in English teaching andlearning in junior middle schools according to the literature research at home andabroad. By establishing research goals and then integrating the school’s actualsituation, the study forms to carry out the implementation of performanceassessment program through English PBL in experimental class(43students),while non-performance-assessment in PBL in the control class(41students). Thestudy is applied to a experimental class’ actual learning for one term. The dependent variable is students’ English comprehensive capacity including theEnglish exam results, English learning strategies, English learning emotionalattitude and culture sense. Pre-test shows that there is no significant differencebetween experimental class and control class on these four aspects.Post-test results show that the learning strategies of the experimental classscored significantly higher than those of the control classes.As parts of thelearning strategies, meta-cognitive strategies and communication strategies of theexperimental class are significantly better than those of the control class. Theself-confidence which is part of the learning emotional attitude also scoressignificantly higher.Further analysis shows that the means of the exam results, emotionalattitude statistic results and culture sense test results of experimental class are allhigher than those of the control class. The student interview after statisticanalysis indicates that the experimental class’learning interest and attitude andlearning motivation stage higher than those of the control class, although the nosignificance are found in learning emotional attitude between the two classes.The author organizes further interview after the Statistic analysis to collectstudents’ ideas and suggestions about applying performance assessment toEnglish Project Based Learning. With reflection and cogitation, an actionprogram and some suggestions are written for the teachers who want to try suchteaching and learning pattern.This research is a good example of better teaching and learning for students’comprehensive capacity development, a trial of a proper assessment for testingmultifactorial learning outcomes, a study for further research on studentassessment.