An Investigation of Performance-Based Assessment at High Schools

Abstract

The current study was undertaken in order to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions of performance-based assessment in English lessons at Turkish high schools. The study employs both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The participants of the study were 20 high school teachers and 124 high school students. In order to collect qualitative data, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers; and for quantitative data, a questionnaire was administered to the students. According to the qualitative data, teachers in general complain about problems in application, lack of time, and lack of effort on the part of students who use the Internet improperly. The quantitative data indicates that the most preferred method on the part of students is exams, and that students find exams the most effective testing method, enabling them to demonstrate their language potential. In addition, performance-based assessment is not considered fair by either teachers or students. Teachers expressed concerns about evaluating performance tasks properly.