Motivated or Informed? Chinese Undergraduates' Beliefs about the Functions of Continuous Assessment in Their College English Course

Autor/in	Zhan, Ying
Titel	Motivated or Informed? Chinese Undergraduates' Beliefs about the Functions of Continuous Assessment in Their College English Course
Quelle	In: Higher Education Research and Development, 39 (2020) 5, S.1055-1069 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Zhan, Ying)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0729-4360
DOI	10.1080/07294360.2019.1699029
Schlagwörter	Beliefs; Formative Evaluation; College English; Learning Motivation; Feedback (Response); Grading; Student Adjustment; Second Language Learning; English (Second Language); Context Effect; College Freshmen; Educational Environment; School Culture; Educational Policy; Foreign Countries; China + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Belief; Glaube; Motivation for studies; Lernmotivation; Notengebung; Schulnote; Student; Students; Adjustment; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Adaptation; Zweitsprachenerwerb; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Studienanfänger; Lernumgebung; Pädagogische Umwelt; Schulumwelt; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Ausland
Abstract	Continuous assessment (CA) is believed to have great potential for improving learning in higher education. Students' beliefs about CA are a determining force for optimising CA's formative potential. This study explored 27 Chinese undergraduates' beliefs about CA functions in their college English course through individual semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that more than half of the participants noticed the judgemental function of CA. The majority valued CA as an external force that motivated them to learn. Fewer than half believed that CA informed their learning. It is argued that this perceived strong extrinsic motivational function and weak informing function might constrain the participants' sustainable learning improvement. The findings show that the participants' beliefs about CA functions were ecologically rational. The macrosystem (China's education system and examination culture) and exosystem (university assessment policy) enhanced the participants' recognition of CA as a motivator. Further, the microsystem (lecturer feedback and grading practices) and chronosystem (students' transition from high school to university) contributed to their lower awareness of CA as a useful feedback source. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01