Is scoring helpful feedback for writing tasks? An examination of teachers’ beliefs

Abstract

Understanding teachers’ beliefs about scoring procedures can be beneficial for educators in order to understand factors including challenges the teachers face when dealing with writing evaluation. This study investigated teachers’ beliefs about scoring procedures through the narrative approach. Their stories were revealed through repertory grid interviews based on the Personal Construct Theory. The method encouraged teachers to think more critically when expressing their beliefs, so their genuine voices and experiences could be revealed. Two native and two non-native English-speaking teachers at the university level were interviewed about their methods of assigning scores when evaluating an essay. The interviews revealed that several factors, such as learning, practicality, experience, objectivity, and confidence could influence teachers’ beliefs when deciding which scoring procedures to use. The challenges that educators might face when giving feedback were also discussed.