Abstract
International and national foreign language education policies recognize the invaluable role of parents. Because parents' perceptions of foreign language assessment may initiate any parental involvement behavior, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted to investigate the phenomenon. Data were collected from 25 parents via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Findings confirmed parents' understandings of a foreign language proficiency pertain to communicative use of the language. However, assessment practices at schools are test-driven, and they may not be authentic, valid, and criterion-referenced practices. Parents, moreover, highlighted a need for assessment literacy; nevertheless, they do not get any support from any stakeholders. Also, assessment practices' outcomes may initiate parental involvement behaviors that pertain to parenting helping, communicative effective, and learning at home. This study highlights an urgent need to improve parents' foreign language assessment literacy and parental involvement behaviors to enrich learners' development.
TopIntroduction
The number of children learning English as a foreign language has increased (Forey et al., 2016), and in relation, it may be even that the number of nonnative speakers of English outnumbered the natives (Hosseinpour, Yazdani, et al., 2015). While governments strive to meet the challenges of the 21st century’s dynamics such as globalization, technological advancements, and migration (OECD, 2021), they also try to help students acquire a second and/or foreign language. This is because proficiency in a foreign language helps learners develop an intercultural understanding, cognitive skills, as well as economic and career potentials (Forey et al., 2016; Hosseinpour, Sherkatolabbasi, et al., 2015; OECD, 2021).
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) recent policy on delivering an international foreign language assessment in 2025 may also produce a great shift. As the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test validation model focuses on socio-cultural dynamics, parents’ foreign language proficiency, family support regarding a foreign language, and their perceptions and attitudes will be in the scope for their impact on learners’ proficiency (OECD, 2021). In this sense, such practices may lead governments including Turkey to keep revising their foreign language education policies and practices to include parents as a mechanism for language learners’ development.
Context of the Study
Nature of the Curriculum
The Turkish Ministry of National Education (MoNE) redesigned the English language education curriculum for primary and middle schools with a reference to the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) in 2018 (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018b). As the CEFR proposes that language learning is a lifelong process, Turkish students start to learn English as of the 2nd grade, if not earlier (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018b). Regarding children’s developmental characteristics and the CEFR’s framework, the English language curriculum also puts forward developing language skills in an authentic environment and in relation, employing a diversity of assessment practices.
Nature of the Assessment
The MoNE highlighted that an important aspect of the curriculum is assessment and evaluation. Indeed,
“learning, teaching, and testing are part of a whole, interacting constantly with each other in shaping not only teachers’ instructional choices but also students’ learning strategies, and even parents’ attitudes toward what is critical and valuable in educative provisions. (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018b, p.6)
As the CEFR suggests criterion-referenced assessment (Council of Europe, 2020), the MoNE suggests various methods or techniques such as alternative, process-oriented, self-assessment, diagnostic, reflective, and summative evaluation to evaluate language skills and competencies (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018b). Assessment practices may also display variations regarding the developmental characteristics of the learners. For the 2nd and 3rd graders, assessment practices may be implemented in and out of the class, and they reflect the notions of formative assessment. As of the 4th grade, both summative and formative assessment practices may be employed. In this sense, (a) written and oral tests, quizzes, and take-home assignments and (b) high-stake exams, product-oriented projects, and pen-paper tests can be employed for formative and summative assessment, respectively (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018b).
Parents and the English Language Curriculum
As invaluable roles of the “support mechanisms of teachers and other shareholders” including parents are recognized (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018b, p.4), the MoNE has implemented an assessment platform. On this platform, parents can track children’s all assessment records from kindergarten to high school at any levels and forms where both content and competencies are clarified. Moreover, parents are offered modules to familiarize themselves with assessment practices. Thereby, all stakeholders can discuss children’s development as well as take initiatives to support their process or manage insufficiencies, if necessary (Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, 2018a).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Foreign Language Assessment: An evaluation practice of foreign language learners’ extant productive and receptive competencies to inform stakeholders and improve curricular practices, if need be.
Foreign Language Assessment Literacy: It pertains to an understanding of the purposes and the principles of sound assessment and the capacity of examining foreign language performances to make informed decisions.
Foreign Language Proficiency: It is an indicator of how well a foreign language learner uses receptive and productive skills as well as other language competencies such as syntax, morphology, semantics, and vocabulary regarding the context, task demands, and other agents’ characteristics.
Parental Involvement: It pertains to parents’ behaviors with or on behalf of the children for their development, academic success, and future endeavors at home and school.