• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to previous page

Effects of Criterion-Referenced Assessment on Motivation in EFL

Research Project

Project/Area Number 15520346
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Foreign language education
Research InstitutionAkita University

Principal Investigator

WATANABE Watanabe  Akita University, Faculty of Education and Human Studies, Associate Professor, 教育文化学部, 助教授 (20167183)

Project Period (FY) 2003 – 2004
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2004)
Budget Amount *help
¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Keywordscriterion-referenced assessment / absolute interpretation of test scores / criteria vs.standards / motivation / educational evaluation / EFL / interviews / classroom observation
Research Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to examine whether criterion-referenced assessment (CRA) would help motivate learners learning English as a foreign language (EFTL) at Japanese junior and senior high schools. The CRA system has been implemented since 2002 at junior high schools and 2004 at senior high schools. It is commonsensical to claim that the CRA practice is superior to the NRA (norm-referenced) practice in that the former would help motivate learners, as the former would potentially provide students with a specific set of goals at each stage of learning, whereas the latter, in the absence of such goals, would help learners selfevaluate their own levels of achievement only by referring to the achievement of other learners.
The present research investigated the issue by conducting interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations. The interviews and questionnaires that were administered to teachers indicated that teachers did understand and expect that the CRA system would motivate learners. Contrary to this expectation, however, teachers were busy establishing criteria for their own schools, which lead to failure to capitalize on the `motivating factor inherent' in the CRA system. The interviews with students also indicated that they expected the CRA system would be more motivating than the NRA in that the former would give them a greater chance to receive a grade that they would deserve according to their degree of effort. However, there was very little evidence that indicated that they were really motivated.
The present research concluded that in order to use the CRA system to motivate learners, a greater level of understanding of the system should be gained on the part of teachers and learners. It was also suggested that a certain degree of comparison among students should not be neglected even in the CRA system, if assessment is employed to motivate learners at all.

Report

(3 results)
  • 2004 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2003 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (17 results)

All 2005 2004 Other

All Journal Article (12 results) Book (2 results) Publications (3 results)

  • [Journal Article] Evaluating a New Course in English for Academic Purposes2005

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      秋田大学教養基礎教育研究年報 7

      Pages: 1-12

    • NAID

      120000798671

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Building a Tower of Babel2005

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      Language Assessment Quarterly 2/1

      Pages: 69-75

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Building a Tower of Babel.2005

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      Language Assessment Quarterly 2/1

      Pages: 69-75

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Evaluating a New Course in English for Academic Purposes2005

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      秋田大学教養基礎教育研究年報 6(未定)

    • NAID

      120000798671

    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Building a Tower of Babel2005

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      Language Assessment Quarterly 2/1(未定)

    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Journal Article] Does English Ability Really Matter? - Validating Final Grades in University EFL Courses2004

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      秋田大学教養基礎教育年報 6

      Pages: 19-28

    • NAID

      110004677486

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Exploring Test-Wiseness of Japanese Senior High School Students2004

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      教育文化学部紀要 No.59

      Pages: 29-39

    • NAID

      110004677743

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] A Comparison of English Proficiency of Korean, Japanese and Chinese High School Students2004

    • Author(s)
      Oryang Kwon, Kensaku Yoshida, Yoshinori Watanabe, Masashi Negishi, Naoyuki Naganuma
    • Journal Title

      English Teaching 59/4

      Pages: 3-21

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report 2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Does English Ability Really Matter? -Validating Final Grades in University EFL Courses2004

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      Akita University Center for Promotion of Educational Research and Affairs 6

      Pages: 19-28

    • NAID

      110004677486

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Exploring Test-Wiseness of Japanese Senior High School Students2004

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      Bulletin of Faculty of Education and Human Studies 59

      Pages: 29-39

    • NAID

      110004677743

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Washback in Language Testing : Research Contexts and Methods2004

    • Author(s)
      Liying Cheng, Yoshinori Watanabe (with Andy Curtis)
    • Journal Title

      Lawrence Erlbaum(USA)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Journal Article] Evaluating a New Course in English for Academic Purposes

    • Author(s)
      Yoshinori Watanabe
    • Journal Title

      Akita University Center for Promotion of Educational Research and Affairs 7

      Pages: 1-12

    • NAID

      120000798671

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Book] 第二言語習得研究の現在2005

    • Author(s)
      渡部良典
    • Total Pages
      20
    • Publisher
      小池生夫(監修)
    • Related Report
      2004 Annual Research Report
  • [Book] Washback in Language Testing : Research Contexts and Methods2004

    • Author(s)
      Liying Cheng, Yoshinori Watanabe (with Andy Curtis)
    • Total Pages
      237
    • Publisher
      Lawrence Erlbaum (USA)
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2004 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yoshinori Watanabe: "Does English Ability Really Matter? - Validating Final Grades in University EFL Courses"秋田大学教養基礎教育年報. 第6号. 19-28 (2004)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Yoshinori Watanabe: "Exploring Test-Wiseness of Japanese Senior High School Students"教育文化学部紀要. No.59. 29-39 (2004)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Liying Cheng, Yoshinori Watanabe(with Andy Curtis): "Washback in Language Testing : Research Contexts and Methods"Lawrence Erlbaum(USA). 237 (2004)

    • Related Report
      2003 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2003-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi