Engendering assessment literacy:
Narrowing the gap between teachers and testers

Appendix B:

Research statement and preliminary interview questions
for high school EFL teachers


Research Statement
I am conducting research study about (1) attitudes towards testing and (2) assessment practices among high school English teachers in Japan. I would like to interview at least seven different high school teachers in either English or Japanese for about 15-20 minutes to ask them some questions about language testing and student assessment. The confidential of all teachers will be respected: their names will not be disclosed and information about precisely where they teach will be kept private.

This study will be published in an online academic publication and each teacher will have a chance to obtain a copy of the publication before it is published.
Preliminary Interview Questions
  1. What did you learn about testing in university (before teaching)?
  2. When you took your teacher certification examination, what testing-related questions (if any) were in the examination?
  3. What percentage of your total work time is usually spent on assessment-related activities (making tests, grading tests, evaluating student performance)?
  4. How have your ideas about testing changed since you began teaching?
  5. What are the main criteria for determining student grades in your classes?
  6. What percentage of your students appear to have "test-phobia" (anxiety and fear concerning tests)?
  7. What concerns (if any) do you have about the English tests often used in high schools?

Main Article Appendix A Appendix B
www.tnewfields.info/Articles/testlitB.htm
Copyright (c) 2007 by Tim Newfields
THE TIM NEWFIELDS HOMEPAGE

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