چکیده:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of portfolio assessment on metacognitive reading strategy awareness of Iranian EFL senior high school students. A further concern of the study was to examine students' motivation for reading via portfolio and their attitude 'towards portfolio assessment as an alternative method of reading comprehension assessment. Participants comprised 60 female senior high school students. The portfolio assessment was integrated into the experimental group's English course to explore whether and to what extent their metacognitive reading strategy awareness may enhance. Both quantitative and qualitative procedures were used for data collection and analysis. Data were obtained through 1) a Likert scale questionnaire of Metacognitive Awareness of Reading StrategiesInventory (MARSI), 2) a Likert scale Attitude and Motivationquestionnaire, 3) an open-ended question eliciting the students'perceptions of the likely advantages and disadvantages of portfolio assessment of reading, and 4) students' portfolios which were independently assessed by three trained raters on pre-assigned criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS Software and statistical techniques of the Mann Whitney U test, Wilcoxon Signed-rank test, and chi-square test. The results of data analysis indicated that portfolio procedures boosted students' awareness of metacognitive reading strategies and enhanced their motivation for reading comprehension as well. Over 85% of the students favored the portfolio assessment of reading and noted that compiling portfolios helped them immensely in self-assessment and awareness of their strengths and weaknesses in reading. Studentscommented on portfolio as a powerful tool for assessing reading ability. Along with those advantages, the length of time required for the learners to assemble the portfolios, work overload from assignments, and excessive effort for assigned tasks worried some students especially those deeply accustomed to traditional testing methods of evaluating reading ability typical of the Iranian ELT system. Despite these concerns, the benefits of portfolio assessment clearly outweigh the negative aspects. Finally, suggestions for portfolio use and possible future avenues of research are provided
خلاصه ماشینی:
The portfolio assessment was integrated into the experimental group's English course to explore whether and to what extent their metacognitive reading strategy awareness may enhance.
Along with those advantages, the length of time required for the learners to assemble the portfolios, work overload from assignments, and excessive effort for assigned tasks worried some students especially those deeply accustomed to traditional testing methods of evaluating reading ability typical of the Iranian ELT system.
Does portfolio assessment improve metacognitive strategy awareness of reading of Iranian pre-university students?
Having confirmed the homogeneity of the groups in terms of Their language proficiency 8 The Effect of Portfolio Assessment on through administering a Nelson English language test to the experimental and control groups, the researchers ran a Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategy Inventory (MARS!) to the groups at the outset of instruction.
Results and Discussion The first research question addressed the effect of portfolio assessment on improving metacognitive strategy awareness of reading of Iranian pre-university students.
As Table 1 depicts, portfolio assessment did improve metacognitive strategy awareness of reading among Iranian pre-university students.
!JAL, Vol. 9, No. 2, September 2006 17 Conclusion This study attempted to investigate whether portfolio assessment contributes to Iranian pre-university students' metacognitive reading strategy awareness and their motivation for reading as well as their attitudes and perceptions of portfolio assessment.
Finally, further research may address the effect of metacognitive strategy awareness as a result of portfolio implementation on teachers and students across diverse educational, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts.