Students’ perception of writing assessment in the English education study program

Abstract

Assessment is an important component in learning teaching activities, aiming to measure students' abilities and progress throughout the learning process. Therefore, understanding students' perceptions of class assessments is crucial for determining the suitability and validity of the assessment. This research investigates students' perceptions and experiences in writing assessments in the Writing in Academic Context classes. A mixed-method design was employed in this research. Closed- ended questionnaires were utilized to get quantitative data aiming to know students’ perceptions of writing assessments, while semi- structured interviews were employed to gather qualitative data aiming to know students’ experiences in writing assessments. There were 25 questions for the closed-ended questionnaires and 10 questions for the interview. 40 students filled in the closed-ended questionnaire about their perception and 8 of them were chosen to be interviewed to get deeper information about their experiences. This research finds that students have positive perceptions and experiences toward the writing assessments conducted in their class. They agreed that the assessments measured their writing ability (Mean=3.2) and helped them to think and write critically (Mean=3.35). Additionally, they also had a positive experience when doing writing assessments. They felt excited when the topic was related because they could easily pour their ideas into it. Moreover, lecturers’ feedback encouraged them to do better in English academic writing.