An exploratory study about the perceptions towards the implementation of the English school-based assessment

Abstract

English School-Based Assessment (SBA) has been implemented in the New Senior Secondary (NSS) curriculum for almost a decade. While an array of research has been conducted during the initial stages of the implementation of SBA, there remains a paucity of studies investigating the same issue 8 years after its introduction. This study, therefore, hopes to shed new light on salient issues of SBA by exploring the perceptions of different stakeholders towards the assessment policy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the views from an in-service teacher, an in-student, a pre-service teacher, a teacher educator and two subject officers from the Education Bureau (EDB) and Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). Findings suggest that the potential implementors seem to have become more receptive to the assessment policy while their implementation practices and perceptions are still largely influenced by an entrenched assessment culture. Comparing the findings with previous SBA studies, participants seem to have shifted their concerns about SBA from issues of reliability and validity to the assessment literacy of the implementors and developers, as well as the support provided by schools and the wider community.