ASSESSING B1 LEVEL LEARNERS' WRITING SKILLS THROUGH PORTFOLIO AND ACHIEVEMENT TESTS

Аннотация

The primary focus of this study was to determine the effect of portfolio assessment on final examination scores of EFL students’ writing skill. To determine the impact of portfolio-based writing assessment 40 university students who enrolled in composition course were initially selected and divided randomly into two experimental and control groups. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted in this study. In order to appraise the homogeneity of the experimental and control groups Comprehensive English Language Test (CELT) was employed at the beginning of the study. The pre-test was applied to both the experimental group and control group. Later in the study, a post-test of dependent variables was implemented for both groups. Data analysis was carried out by SPSS 16 statistical computer program .The statistical techniques being applied were the Levene statistic of One- Way ANOVA and the Paired-sample T-test. The results of the study revealed that that students whose work was evaluated by a portfolio system (portfolio-based assessment) had improved in their writing and gained higher scores in final examination when compared to those students whose work was evaluated by the more traditional evaluation system (non-portfolio-based assessment).The findings of the present study highlighted the fact that portfolio assessment could be used as a complementary alternative along with traditional assessment to shed new light on the process of writing. Keywords: Portfolio, Portfolio assessment, Writing skill, Portfolio- based instruction Writing is often considered one of the most challenging skills for language learners. At the B1 level, learners are expected to write coherent and cohesive texts, though they may still make errors in grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. The challenge for educators is not only in identifying these errors but also in measuring learners' overall writing development. 538 “JOURNAL OF SCIENCE-INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN UZBEKISTAN” JURNALI VOLUME 3, ISSUE 04, 2025. APRIL ResearchBib Impact Factor: 9.654/2024 ISSN 2992-8869 Two primary methods for assessing writing skills at the B1 level are portfolio assessment and achievement tests. Portfolio assessment involves the collection of a learner's work over time, which allows for a deeper, more comprehensive view of their writing progress. Achievement tests, on the other hand, focus on assessing writing performance at a specific point in time, providing a snapshot of the learner's abilities under test conditions. This paper aims to explore both methods in detail, providing insights into their effectiveness and suggesting ways in which they can be applied to better assess B1-level learners' writing skills. Portfolio Assessment Yang (2003) defined portfolio as a compilation of students’ work, which documents their effort, progress and achievement in their learning, and their reflection on the materials negotiated for the portfolio. Crosby (1997) indicates that the primary purpose of portfolios in EFL context is to increase the level of students’ motivation and to give them a sense autonomous learning. The portfolio as a self-reflection assessment has appeal because it changes the way writing has been graded traditionally and institutes a grading system whereby the teacher shares control and works collaboratively with students (Berlin 1994). Portfolio assessment is used as an evaluation tool for reviewing the status of student progress and development. The components of the portfolio are decided by the teachers, the students, or through an agreement between teachers and students. Portfolio-based writing assessment has attracted a considerable amount of interest in colleges and universities because they link teaching, learning, and assessment within the discipline and across disciplines in the college curriculum. Hamp-Lyons &Condon (2000) argue that the “greatest theoretical and practical strength of a portfolio, used as an assessment instrument, is the way it reveals and informs teaching and learning” (p.4). Lee (2001) points out that portfolio assessment prioritized student-centered over conventional concept of teaching. Although portfolio assessment of writing promised potential benefits for writing skill development in ESL and EFL context, the traditional psychometric opponents criticize its principles and practice. Writing assessment is a critical part of language instruction, providing teachers with valuable insights into a learner's progress. The B1 level, as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), is an intermediate stage of proficiency, where learners can produce simple connected text on familiar subjects but may still have significant errors in their use of language. To assess learners at this level, educators 539 “JOURNAL OF SCIENCE-INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN UZBEKISTAN” JURNALI VOLUME 3, ISSUE 04, 2025. APRIL ResearchBib Impact Factor: 9.654/2024 ISSN 2992-8869 often rely on both portfolio assessments and achi