Effects of Alternative Assessment on Students’ Perception, Attitude, Engagement and Achievement in a Communicative English Skills Course at Ambo University

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of alternative assessment on student engagement and achievement in communicative English Skills course II (FLEn1012) at Ambo University. This study used an experimental research design. The data were collected from 173 students through test, questionnaire, and classroom observation protocol. The students were selected from Social Science (96) and Natural Science (77) bands based on maximum variation sampling techniques. Students were stratified into four sections based on their results in the pre-test, field of study and sex category, who were later assigned to two control and two experimental groups using lottery system. Then, course-based alternative assessment was implemented for ten weeks for the experimental group of students while control group students were taught and assessed using conventional assessment methods in their regular classrooms. Students in the experimental group were continuously guided on the utilization of alternative assessment. After post-intervention test, the data sets were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics methods. The qualitative data were also thematically analyzed to supplement the results of the quantitative data. The results of the study indicated that alternative assessment resulted in a significant improvement in student engagement (t = 3.74) and in their achievement (t = 2.48), wherein there is no significant difference between social and natural science bands students (t = 0.95) as a result of alternative assessment. The implementation of alternative assessment requires teachers’ commitment and integrated assessment skills, students’ language proficiency and willingness, and sufficient resources and standardized class size, as set by Ministry of Education.