Explicit Assessment Rubrics and L2 Motivation

Författare

Anthon Brunzell

Summary, in English

With regards to increased research on the formative use of assessment rubrics and its effects on performance, this study highlights the need for more research on rubrics’ effects on different kinds of motivation. Therefore, the study aims to investigate possible effects of implementing explicit assessment rubrics on L2 motivation in an EFL classroom. The study is quasi-experimental, which means that it uses a pre-post experimental method with two groups of stu-dents, one experimental group (N = 15) and one control group (N = 16). For testing, question-naires were used and for the instructional treatment an explicit assessment rubric was con-structed adapted to the context and recommendations from previous research. Data was collect-ed during class with students’ consent before and after the experiment. For the data analysis, a Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test was conducted together with a Mann Whitney U-test. The data analysis of the study showed that the experimental group increased Amotivation after the treatment (P < 0.10) as well as decreased their score of Extrinsic motivation (P < 0.10). The major conclusion of the essay is that that no matter how much positive or negative criteria compliance explicit assessment rubrics seems to promote, they do not in all cases prompt posi-tive L2 Motivation effects. In addition, the study discusses the possible standardization of re-search specializing in assessment rubrics’ effects on L2 motivation.

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