A Longitudinal Study of a School’s Assessment Project in Chongqing, China

Abstract

This case study looks at results of students who took English as a foreign language achievement tests in their Years 4–6 (ages 10–12) at Chongqing Nanping Primary School (CNPS) and analyzes them between 2010 and 2013. The students, as they used different course books, were divided into two groups: PEP English and Oxford English. The investigation of the test papers and scores of the students in the two groups has yielded the following findings: (1) As shown in the test component, in lower grades of both groups, CNPS put more emphasis on speaking and listening than comprehensive abilities; (2) For the language areas assessed, the PEP English Test prioritized vocabulary and grammar while the Oxford English Test devoted many items to assessing communicative skills; (3) Both groups had high achievers; however, students’ performances showed moderate decline as the grade went higher; (4) In-depth interviews with teachers revealed that students and teachers were more motivated in the Oxford English group. The test scores also indicate that this group performed better than the PEP English group.