Nghiên cứu thử nghiệm về việc sử dụng hồ sơ bài tập để nâng cao kĩ năng viết cho học sinh lớp 10 - Trường THPT Diễn Châu

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VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES






NGUYỄN THỊ HUYỀN TRANG



USING PORTFOLIOS TO IMPROVE THE TENTH GRADERS’
WRITING SKILLS AT DIEN CHAU 4 HIGH SCHOOL:
A QUASI – EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH


(Nghiên cứu thử nghiệm về việc sử dụng hồ sơ bài tập để nâng cao kĩ
năng viết cho học sinh lớp 10 – Trường THPT Diễn Châu 4)

M.A MINOR THESIS


Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60 14 10

Hanoi, September, 2010

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CONTENTS
PAGES
Declaration
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Table of contents
List of tables
List of abbreviations
PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationales for choosing the topic
2. Objectives of the study
3. Research questions
4. Scope of the study
5. Methods of the study
6. Significance of the study
7. Design of the study
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Teaching writing
1.2.1. What is writing?
1.2.2. The Importance of writing
1.2.3. Approaches to teaching writing
1.2.3.1. The Product Approach

1.2.3.2. The Process Approach
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1.2.3.3. Product approach or Process approach?
1.3. Portfolios in Writing
1.3.1. Definition of portfolios:
1.3.2. Types and Contents of portfolios

1.3.3. Portfolio assessment
1.3.4. Why do we use portfolio assessment?
1.3.5. Stages of portfolio Implementation
1.3.6. The Benefits of Using Portfolios
CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Background to the study
2.2.1. An overlook on the teaching writing at Dien Chau 4 high school
2.2.2. Teaching writing to the 10
th
graders
2.2.3. Students
2.3. The quasi-experimental research
2.3.1. Research questions
2.3.2. Hypothesis
2.3.3. Partcipants
2.3.4. Experimental Treatment
2.3.5. Procedures for carrying out the research
2.3.6. Instruments for Data Collection
2.3.6.1. Pre – test and Post – test
2.3.6.2. Students‟ portfolios
2.3.6.3. Students‟ reflective writing
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2.3.7. Data analysis
CHAPTER 3: MAJOR FINDINGS, DISCUSSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1. General Introduction
3.2. Findings
3.2.1. Results from pre-test and post-test
3.2.2. Results from the students‟ reflection
3.2.2.1. The improvement in writing skills
3.2.2.2. Changes in emotional states
3.2.2.3. The fostering of cooperative learning
3.3. Discussion of findings
3.4. Recommendations

3.4.1. The teacher
3.4.1.1. Giving clear instructions of portfolios
3.4.1.2. Using a variety of assessment tools
3.4.1.3. Creating a friendly learning environment
3.4.1.4. Finding out each individual student‟s differences and needs
3.4.2. The Students
3.4.2.1. Being active in learning activities
3.4.2.2. Being cooperative in peer work
PART C: CONCLUSION
1. Introduction
2. Summary of the study
3. Conclusions
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4. Limitations of the study
5. Suggestions for further studies
References
Appendix 1: The Pre-test and Post-test
Appendix 2: Students’ Pre-test and Post-test Scores
Appendix 3: Map of 8 Units in Semester Two of English 10
Appendix 4: Handout for the Correction Symbols
Appendix 5: Students’ Portfolio Scores
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43
I
II
III
IV
V

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LIST OF TABLES


NAMES OF TABLES
Table 1: Paired Samples Statistics
Table 2: Paired Differences Statistics
Table 3: T – test Result

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LIST OF ABBREVIATION
(in alphabetical order)

Df: Degree of Freedom
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
ESL: English as a Second Language
N: Number
P – value: Probability value
Std. Deviation: Standard Deviation
Std. Error Mean : Standard Error of the Mean

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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationales for choosing the topic
Language is important in communication, because it is a means of transferring
ideas in communication activities. English as an international language also has that
function. It is not only considered as the first foreign language but it is taught as a
compulsory subject from elementary school up to high school. Although English has been
taught for a long time, the results of teaching English are considered unsatisfactory
(Ramelan, 1992: 3).
Since the new textbooks for seven-year educational system were applied in
educational curriculum, English is divided into four separate skills: reading, speaking,
listening and writing. Of which, writing is considered one of the most difficult skills for
students to perceive because of some basic reasons as follows.
Firstly, students‟ background knowledge about the writing topics is limited

although they have got the information relating to the topics in the previous lessons as
reading, speaking or listening.
Secondly, the students usually lack vocabulary to express their thinking. This is a
common imperfection of many students in high schools as well as in colleges.
Thirdly, due to the limited class time, the students may find it difficult to learn and
to master because they have little time to practice and do not receive peer correction and
the teacher‟s feedback. Thus, they can not realize their mistakes and correct them.
Another reason may lie in the way of assessing students‟ attainment. In fact, the
only way to assess the students‟ writings is a mini-test in the middle and a 45-minute test
near the end of the term.
Therefore, the students‟ underdeveloped writing skills have been of major concern
to educators. Teachers are becoming more creative in the classroom in finding ways to
encourage students to want to write and to do their best when they write. An innovative
and effective method for restructuring traditional composition courses is using portfolios as
a method of learning and assessing students‟ writing skills.

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Since many previous researches on writing portfolios indicate that they enhance
students‟ motivation and consequently learning, we used them in our teaching context
though with some adaptations to suit our specific needs. We assumed that if our students
found these activities helpful and enjoyable, they would be more motivated to learn and
become better writers.
For the above reasons, the following experimental study was conducted in response
to such problems: “Using portfolios to improve the tenth graders’ writing skills at Dien
Chau 4 high school: A quasi – experimental research”, which can be translated into
Vietnamese as stated in the thesis title.
2. Objectives of the study
This quasi – experimental research was conducted with an intention of evaluating
the effectiveness of adopting portfolios in teaching writing to improve the tenth graders‟
writing skills. Especially, this study aims at examining the level of impact that portfolio

has on students‟ writing performance and investigating the writing progress perceived by
the students themselves after the experiment.
3. Research questions
This study aims at answering the following questions:
- Does the writing performance included in the portfolio of this study indicate a
significant growth in English writing ability?
- What is the progress, if any, as perceived by the students in developing their
writing skills?
4. Scope of the study
As its title suggests, the focus of this study was to investigate the effects of using
portfolios in teaching writing to the tenth graders at Dien Chau 4 high school. Particularly,
the subjects were 35 students from class 10C5.
5. Methods of the study
This study was realized with regard to both quantitative and qualitative analysis.

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On the one hand, quantitative analysis is involved through the process of data
collection and analysis, which are carried out at class 10C5 – Dien Chau 4 high school.
The students‟ scores gained from pre-test and post-test will be quantitatively compared.
On the other hand, qualitative analysis is also applied in achieving the second
purpose of the study, that is to investigate students‟ learning progress as perceived by
themselves. With this objective, the researcher would study carefully students‟ report from
their reflections.
6. Significance of the study
This study may be significant in some ways:
First, it introduces some necessary theoretical knowledge about portfolios, their
definition, advantages, some ways to prepare them that may help teachers prepare their
own portfolios, or at least get acquainted with them.
Second, this study may be useful in introducing some emphasis on the fact that
writing consists of many components that should receive enough attention in order to

develop portfolios and how to score them. So that the teacher can make a final judgment
about his / her student‟s over all performances considering the fact that any pieces of
writing should represent students‟ knowledge in grammar, vocabulary, skills of organizing
and outlining and their ability to write independently.
Third, the outcome of this study shows the effectiveness of portfolios on students‟
writing performances so that teacher could make decisions whether portfolios should be
used in the future or not and how to use them most effectively.
7. Design of the study
The study is divided into three main parts, which are presented as follows.
Part A is the Introduction, which states the rationales, the objectives, the scope,
research questions, the methodology applied in the realization of the research as well as its
significance.
Part B, the Development, consists of three chapters.

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Chapter I is the literature review which is relevant to teaching writing, portfolios
and portfolio assessment. Specifically, it deals with a definition of writing, the importance
of writing, approaches to teaching writing. This chapter ends with a theoretical background
on portfolio including definition of portfolio, the contents of portfolio, principles in using
portfolio, portfolio assessment, stages in implementing portfolio and its effects on students
writing performance.
Chapter II is the study. This chapter describes some background to the study and
procedures for carrying out the quasi – experimental research including the data collection
method, the context, participants, sampling, instruments, procedures of data collection and
data analysis.
Chapter III discusses the major findings and discussions of findings,
recommendations to teaching writing to the tenth graders at Dien Chau 4 high school.
Part C, the last part of the study, is the conclusion where all the main contents of
the study are summarized and limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies
are presented.

Besides, there are also 5 appendixes where supplemental materials and the list of
references are provided.











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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1. Introduction
This chapter is concerned with some of the most important issues in the theories of
teaching writing skills. Two main features will be taken into consideration, namely
theoretical background of writing approaches and using portfolios in teaching writing
skills.
1.2. Teaching writing
1.2.1. What is writing?
There are various definitions of writing in the literature of research into writing.
Each definition is a reflection of the underlying theories or perspective that the authors
assume. Byrne (1979, p.1) defined writing in a board sense. Accordingly, writing was
considered as “act of forming graphic symbols” or simply “making marks on the flat
surface of some kinds”.
Another researcher, Lannon (1989), looked at writing in a more complicated
process relating to research. It is “a process of transforming the material discovered by

research inspiration, accidents, trial and error, or whatever a message with a definite
meaning…writing is a process of deliberate decision” (p.9).
In language teaching, writing is defined as a productive and taught language skill.
Oshima & Hogue (1991, p.3) wrote “it takes study and practice to develop this
skill…writing is a process, not a product”. Tribble (1996, p.3) considered writing as “a
language skill which is difficult to acquire”. He added that “writing normally requires
some form of instructions. It is not a skill that is readily picked up by exposure” (p.11)
In short, the word “writing” itself may imply an act, a process or a skill, which
needs practice and study to develop. It requires both physical and mental powers from the
writers.



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1.2.2. The importance of writing
Ur (1996) categorized writing purposes into three sub-categories. Firstly, writing is
used as “a convenient means for engaging with aspects of language other than the writing
itself” (p.162). Through writing activities, students attend to and practice a “particular
language point”. Secondly, writing is considered “as an end”. Accordingly, various
writing activities, including „micro‟ and „macro‟ activities, invite students to develop their
writing skills. The third kind of writing combines “as both means and end” (p162). It is a
mixture of “purposeful and original writing and learning or practice of some other skills
or content” (p162).
Doff (1988, p.148) provided a detailed comment on the importance of writing at
lower levels of learning English as a foreign language “students’ need for writing is most
likely to be for study purposes and also as an examination skill. The main importance of
writing at this level is that it helps students to learn”.
Tribble (1996, p.7) made a list of reasons why school students have to involve
writing in their study. He stated that writing has the positive effects on their creativeness
and first language acquisition. Accordingly, writing gives school students opportunities for

language practice (by reviewing grammar and vocabulary) and creative language use.
Because of a general educational value, writing in foreign languages can help students
become better writers in their first language.
In summary, for school students who study a second or foreign language, writing
has current immediate values, including language practice and EFL examination. Also it
embeds future values such as professional benefits, development of creative language and
educational values.
1.2.3. Approaches to teaching writing
There have been various ways towards teaching writing but the two most common
at the moment are product approach and process approach.
1.2.3.1. The Product Approach
Product approach is a largely “prescriptive and product-centered” way of teaching
writing (Applebee, 1986). Product approach pays much attention to the final outcome of a

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writing process and supposes that students need to produce only one version of the task.
Generally, product approach focuses on the result of the final writing paper of learners.
With this approach, the favourite class activities are engaged in imitating, copying, and
transforming models of correct language.
To assist teachers to analyze classroom behaviors of the product approach, Steele
(2006) provided a model for it:
Stage 1: Analyzing the features of the model written text. For example, if studying a
formal letter, students‟ attention may be drawn to the importance of paragraphing and the
language used to make formal requests.
Stage 2: Controlled practice of the highlighted features, usually in isolation. So if students
are studying a formal letter, they may be asked to practice the language used to make
formal requests, practicing the “I would be grateful if you would ‟ structure.
Stage 3: Organizing ideas. This stage is very important. Those who favor this approach
believe that the organization of ideas is more important than the ideas and as important as
the control of language.

Stage 4: Choosing a writing task and producing the product, using skills, structures,
vocabulary they have been taught.
1.2.3.2. The Process Approach
The process approach to writing has been seen as an improvement over the
traditional methods of writing instruction in recent years and has been widely implemented
in teaching writing in the first language and the second language as well. Many educators
are positive towards the process approach and think that the students will benefit greatly
from this approach (Raimes 1983, Stewart and Cheung 1989, White and Arndt 1991).
A process approach to writing and the teaching of writing means devoting
increased attention to writers and the activities in which writers engage when they create
and produce a text. It differs much from the product approach which gives primary focus
on the texts. Clark (2003, p.7) described the process approach:
“Reacting against pedagogy oriented towards error correcting and formulaic
patterns of organization, the process approach as it evolved during the 1960s and 1970s,

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was concerned with discovering how writers produce the texts, developing a model of the
writing process that would enable them to write more effectively and continue to improve
as writers”.
Leki (1991) states that the process approach is an approach to teaching writing that
places more emphasis on the stages of writing process rather than on the final product.
Stone (1995, p.232) notes that “process writing is learning how to write by
writing”. This current emphasis in writing focuses on the process of creating writing rather
than the end product (Tompkins, 1990).
It is noticeable that process writing is “interpretational, learner-centered and not
specifically related to examinations” (Pennington 1995, p.707).
Reid (1993) provided a different view in dividing writing stages into basic stages
such as planning, drafting, revising and editing, and four other stages externally imposed
by teachers, namely pre-writing, responding, evaluating and post-writing. This distinction
is helpful for teachers to apply the most productive intervention in the students writing

process in the classroom context.
Tsui (1996) shares the same idea by stating that process writing involves 4 stages;
namely, generating ideas, drafting, revising and editing, and it also emphasizes more on
content than form.
Steele (2006) also confirms that process approaches to writing tend to focus more
on the varied classroom activities which promote the development of language use;
brainstorming, group discussion, re-writing.
Despite the variety of writing stages, researchers have come up with a consensus in
that these stages do not follow a linear pattern. They are “recursive” (Raimes, 1985:229).
By “recursive”, the author meant that at any point in the preparation of a text, writers can
“loop” backwards or forwards to whichever of the activities of the activities involved in
composing a text that they may find useful.
The author of this study tends to follow Reid‟s view towards the writing process.
Following is the summary of the stages according to Reid‟s view.


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Stage 1: Pre-writing
Pre-writing is the first stage in the writing process, which gets students motivated to
write. It fills the blank space in student‟s mind with inspirations to initiate writing. It may
involve understanding the purpose of writing, discovering the topic, thinking about the
audience, gathering information or inventing possible content.
Stage 2: Planning
Using the results of the first stage, students organize their ideas by making an
outline. It is a plan, which tells the writers the main points as well as the organization of
those main points in the required.
Stage 3: Drafting
Once sufficient ideas have been pooled up and organized in an outline, writers
proceed to compose the full text. At this stage, attention should be paid to the fluency of
the writing as well as the choice of language in reference to target audience.

Stage 4: Responding
This stage is important to the success of students‟ writing. It gives them a sense that
their writing is purposeful, e.g. it is produced for someone to read and react to. In the
context of teaching writing, this stage also brings in assistance to student writers to
improve their writing through feedback of the teachers or fellow students.
Stage 5: Revising
When students revise, they review their texts on basis of the feedback they have
received from the responding stage. Hedge (1988, p.23) wrote, “revision involves assessing
what has already has been written and deciding on points like these…”. The points she
mentioned here includes clear expression, inclusion of important points, coherence,
vocabulary, repetition, arrangement of paragraphs and links between sections.
Stage 6: Editing
At this stage, students do some finishing work of their writing for teacher‟s
evaluation. Students make final “readjustments and check accuracy so that the text is
maximally accessible to the reader” (Hedge, 1988, p.23).

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Stage 7: Evaluating
Evaluating a piece of writing means assigning scores to it. It is often done with the
final draft.
In summary, the process approach describes writing as a multi-stage process that
the writers have to go through. It may include prewriting, planning, responding, revising,
editing, evaluating and post-writing. Good writers will follow these stages in a recursive
order, which requires their re-visit of any stage during their writing to make it a “real”
activity.
1.2.3.3. Product approach or Process approach?
Both approaches can benefit students in their writing. Deciding on which approach
to use depends on many factors such as the teacher, the students, and the genre of the text.
Product writing is the approach that imitates a model text; considers organization of
ideas more important than ideas themselves; and focuses on one draft; features highlighted

including controlled practice of those features, individual, and an end product. Whereas,
process writing views text as a resource for comparison and ideas as the starting point;
focuses on more than one draft, purpose, theme, text type, collaborative; and creative
process. It also empowers students by getting them to talk about their writing at every step
of the writing process. It is this "talk" that you will be engaged in as tutors and writing
assistants.
In my teaching writing, I use portfolio, so I choose writing process as my approach.
Many studies have proven that writing process is more beneficial than the product one as
learning to write like learning to do many things requires practice and time. All students
who are capable of becoming excellent writers should be given enough practice and time.
The process writing method values the talents and growth of individual writers and makes
them want to continue writing because they feel good about their abilities.
1.3. Portfolios in Writing
Using writing portfolios in composition classes would better prepared (Pope, 1993).
Cooper and Brown (1992) and Zinn (1998) postulated that compiling a portfolio can be

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very powerful because it enables students to see themselves as writers, especially when it
involves opportunities for self-evaluation and reflection.
1.3.1. Definition of portfolios
A range of definitions of the portfolio has developed, illustrating the growth and
diversity of its use. The most frequently cited definition of portfolios was developed by
Paulson, Paulson and Meyer (1991, p.60):
„A purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student‟s efforts,
progress, and achievements in one or more areas. The collection must include student
participation in selecting contents, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student
self-reflection‟.
The overall purpose of portfolios is to enable the student to demonstrate to others
learning and progress. The greatest value of portfolios is that, in building them, students
can be active participants in the learning process and its assessment.

1.3.2. Types and Contents of portfolios
Many teachers and experts have offered suggestions on portfolio contents based on
their experience with using portfolio assessment.
According to Mandell and Michelson (1990), portfolios are often grouped into
three types:
(i) Showcase – student only puts best example or best product in for each
objective
(ii) Cumulative – student places all work relevant to each objective into the
portfolio
(iii) Process – student places pre/post-samples of work for each objective into the
portfolio
Valencia and Place (1994) also divides portfolio into 4 types, namely:
(i) the showcase portfolio which includes the student‟s best work;
(ii) the evaluation portfolio which includes specified and marked work;

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(iii) the documentation portfolio which includes student work systematically kept
by the teacher but not marked;
(iv) and the process portfolio which contains ongoing work and student self-
reflection.
The portfolio can take many forms. Some of these include: a folder of papers, a
three-ring notebook, a box containing multimedia, a diskette, and a totally online portfolio.
A guide is useful for understanding the arrangement and context of the portfolio, such as a
table of contents, student comments or narrative (either or written), or self-reflection paper.
Essential components of portfolio suggested by Campell, Melenyzer and Nettles et
al. (2000) should be:
- table of contents with pages numbers
- personal introduction describing the students background and capstone
experience
- program outcomes, with artifacts linked to the outcomes.

Each artifact should be described in a short narrative (included with artifact)
reflecting upon what it is, how it demonstrates obtainment of the objective, and what the
students learned as a result (self-reflective). Requiring more than one artifact/objective
increases scoring reliability (Campell, Melenyzer, Nettles & Wyman, 2000).
According to Kemp and Toperoff (1998), it is important that a portfolio includes all
of the followings:
(i) cover letter “about the author” and “what my portfolio shows about my progress as
a learner.
(ii) table of contents with numbered pages;
(iii) entries – both core (items students have to include) and optional (items of
student‟s choice)
(iv) dates on all entries, to facilitate proof of growth over time;
(v) drafts of aural / oral and written products and revised versions, i.e, first draft and
corrected versions.

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(vi) And reflections can appear at different stages in the learning process and can be
written in the mother tongue at the lower levels or by students who find it difficult to
express themselves in English.
Suggestions on portfolio contents are presented above. No matter what it contains,
in practice the content in portfolios should be firstly built from class assignment and
correspond with the local classroom curriculum. Secondly, portfolios should consist of two
major components: a collection of evidence of events and experiences, and a reflection by
the student on what has been learned (Baume, 2001; Friedman et al., 2001). This may
include written reflections kept in the form of journal or diary. Typically, these would
include reflections on problem areas, what has been learned, what has still to be learned
and plans for how new learning will be tackled (Snadden & Thomas, 1998). Besides,
teacher notes, teacher-completed checklists, student reading or learning logs, oral
performance records (self-, peer- and teacher evaluation), such as story-telling,
interviewing, drama performance, multimedia project work and so forth can be included in

a portfolio (Valencia, 1990). All of these are not used all of the time. But on the last page
of the portfolio, there should be a summary report by the students and by the teacher
according to Wang (2003).
1.3.3. Portfolio assessment
A portfolio assessment is a procedure used to plan, collect and analyze the multiple
sources of data maintained in the portfolio. A portfolio used for educational assessment
must offer more than a showcase for student products; it must be the product of a complete
assessment procedure that has been systematically planned, implemented, and evaluated.
Portfolio assessment emphasizing the process instead of the result is a type of
alternative assessment. The assessment is aligned with instructional tasks and offers
immediate feedback to instructors. The interpretation and design require professional rater
judgment (O‟Malley & Pierce, 1992).
Portfolio assessment keeps the records of a student‟s work over time and in a
variety of forms to show the student‟s development and abilities. It can collect the
information from both alternative and standardized assessments (O‟Malley & Pierce,
1992).

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Portfolio assessment allows continuous and authentic assessment of student
progress. It can be integrated into the literacy program (Manning & manning, 1995). For
process-oriented teachers, using portfolio assessment is an excellent way of evaluating
students‟ progresses (Hoy & Gregg, 1994). The records kept in portfolios can offer a
foundation for teachers to discuss the progress and future plans with the students
(Goodman, Goodman & Hood, 1989).
Overall, collection, a display of a variety of performances, context richness,
displayed evaluation, selection, student centered control, reflection, and measuring growth
according to different parameters and over a period of time are important elements of a
portfolio (Hamp – Lyons & Condon, 2000).
1.3.4. Why do we use portfolio assessment?
This question can be answered through the comparison of advantages of using

portfolio assessment with traditional assessment.
According to existing researchs (e.g, O‟Malley and Pierce 1996; Paulson and
Paulson 1991.), there are some advantages of portfolio assessment over the traditional
assessment as follows:
First, portfolios measure student‟s ability over time, while in traditional assessment
it is measured at one time. Second, portfolio assessment is done by teacher and student and
the student is aware of criteria, while traditional assessment is done by teacher alone and
the student is often unaware of criteria. Third, portfolio assessment is embedded in
instruction but traditional assessment is conducted outside instruction. Fourth, portfolio
assessment captures many facets of language learning ability. Fifth, portfolio evaluation
stresses improvement, effort, and achievement, while traditional assessment only focuses
on results. In other words, portfolio evaluation is process-oriented, while traditional
assessment is producted-oriented Finally, portfolios connect learning, assessment, and
instruction whereas these aspects are separated in traditional assessment. In brief,
portfolios are considered a better tool for student learning (Yang 2003).
Murphy & Smith (1991) added that portfolio assessment encourages students to
collaborate with their teachers and classmates instead of competition, which usually
happens in the traditional classroom where students are asked to take a lot of tests.

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Students and teachers become partners and help one another to establish the criteria for
assessing students‟ progress.
In sum, portfolio assessment offers teachers, students and parents a more
comprehensive understanding of students‟ progress in the certain area and presents the
continuum of the change of students (Chen & Martin, 2000). Portfolio assessment can
contribute the information that teachers need to evaluate the program and bring in the
opportunity for reflexive thinking of the students (Ohlhausen & Ford, 1990).
Kemp and Toperoff (1998) provide us with very convincing reasons for using
portfolio assessment in the classroom. According to them, portfolio assessment:
 Matches assessment to teaching. The products that are assessed are mainly products

of classwork, and are not separated from class activities like test term.
 Has clear goals. They are decided on at the beginning of instruction and are clear
to teachers and students alike.
 Gives a profile of learner abilities in terms of:
 Depth: It enables students to really show the quality of their work, which is
done without pressure and time constraints, nd with the help of resources,
reference materials and collaboration with others.
 Breadth: students can demonstrate a widw range of skills.
 Growth: It shows students‟ efforts to improve and develop, and
demonstrates progress over time.
 Caters to individuals in heterogenerous class. Since it is open-ended, students can
show work on their own level. Since there is choice, it is flexibly suitable to
different learning styles and allows expression of different strengths.
 Develop social skills. Students are also assessed on work done together, in pairs or
groups, on projects and assignments. Therefore their social skills will be developed
accordingly.
 Develops independent and active learners. Students must select and justify
portfolio choices; monitor progress and set learning goals.

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 Can improve motivation for learning and thus achievement. Empowerment of
students to prove achievement has been found to be motivating.
 Is an efficient tool for demonstrating learning. Different kinds of products and
records of progress are all reflected in this powerful tool – the portfolios. Changes
over time are also clearly shown.
 Provides opportunity for student-teacher dialogue. Enables the teacher to get to
know each and every student. Promotes joint goal-setting and negotiation of grades.
Some writing teachers over the last 20 years have begun to rely on portfolio
assessment to change their classroom, as Burham explains, from a “grading environment”
to a “writing environment” (p.137). He asserts that portfolio grading systems allow

students to obtain ownership of their writing and at the same time assume responsibility for
it. In short, portfolios, he argues, “create independent writers and learners” who no longer
find themselves wrapped up in writing for the sake of a grade, but wrapped up in writing
for the sake of writing, learning and a multiple of other personal reasons (“the other
writing”). The fact is, when writing becomes personal grades border on becoming
irrelevant.
1.3.5. Stages of portfolio Implementation
In the article “A Portfolio Assessment Modal for ESL”, Moya and O‟Malley (1994)
discuss the portfolio assessment model, which has interrelated levels of assessment:
1. Identify purpose and focus of portfolio
2. Plan portfolio contents
3. Design portfolio analysis
4. Prepare for instruction
5. Plan verification of procedures
6. Implement the model
(Moya, O‟Malley, p.5)

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In Moya and O‟Malley‟s argument, the teacher or “committee” is the guiding factor
in the development of portfolios in the classroom. This argument provides explicit
instructions for teachers to follow in developing the portfolio program.
Matthew and Shimo (2002) identify 5 stages to the implementation of portfolios.
They are (1) collection, (2) selection, (3) reflection, (4) evaluation, and (5) celebration.
As Kemp and Toperoff (1998, p.4-6) put it, there are 8 stages in implementing
portfolio feedback as follows:
Stage 1: identify teaching goals to feedback through the portfolio;
Stage 2: introducing the idea of portfolio to the class;
Stage 3: specifying portfolio content;
Stage 4: giving clear and detailed guidelines for portfolio presentation;
Stage 5: Notifying other interested parties;

Stage 6: Assessing the portfolios and giving feedback;
Stage 7: Student – teacher conferences;
Stage 8: Follow – up.
In summary, different authors apply different stages in implementing portfolios.
These models are somewhat cumbersome and involves a great amount of cooperation from
other partners in an educational community. Therefore, each researcher should take their
own context into consideration to determine the stages of portfolio implementation.
1.3.6. The Benefits of Using Portfolios
There are a number of identifiable advantages in using portfolios in English writing
class. First, students are given the opportunity to write more and to rewrite or revise what
they have written. Refocusing is important because as time elapses between drafts, students
distance themselves from their writings and are able to resee what they have written
allowing for objective revision (Nadell, Mc Meninman, & Langan, 1994). Second, students
can prepare different types of writing that can benefit them in the future as college students
or as members of the workforce. Because different types of writing are included, students
are required to „think‟ and to „reflect‟ about what they write. They are require to formulate

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opinions and to provide specific support for those opinions. Peer criticism in the classroom
acquaints students with the points of view of others. It requires that students seek and
accept help, reinforcing the team concept that is prevalent in the work environment.
Additionally, peer criticism aids students in sharpening their knowledge about essay
structure and grammatical rules. In order to evaluate someone else‟s paper, students must
know what to look for and be able to justify their comments. In the role of partner,
according to James Britton (1997), students generate and refine their writing system. In
easier terms, what Britton means is that students are free to explore what other writers do.
They are able to think critically about other writers‟ techniques, and in responding to their
peers they are able to apply their value systems (Britton, 1997). Allowing students to
respond also builds a warmer community of writers and these writers, once they get over
the initial hesitation about leaving themselves open for criticism, learn to appreciate

suggestions, comments and questions about their writings choices. In turn, this community
as a whole becomes less concerned with grades and more concerned with writing, learning
and, probably most important, having fun in the process. Mill-Courts and Amiran have
witnessed this writing enjoyment first-hand and point out that students “feel empowered by
this collection that clearly demonstrates how far they have come, that si concrete evidence
of their growth as learners. They often laugh with chagrin at the earliest drafts, delight in
later versions, and quietly take pride in the final products” (p107). There are also
recognizable disadvantages with the use of writing portfolios; the added load for writing
teachers is almost unmanageable.
Finally, students can become motivated to write by writing on the subjects that are
of interest to them. Portfolios provide for this variety and give the students a sense of
ownership. Students spend the majority of class time writing, thus becoming accustomed to
the process.