630 Copyright © 2023 The Author IDEAS is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 License Issued by English study program of IAIN Palopo IDEAS Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, Linguistics and Literature ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) Volume 11, Number 1, June 2023 pp. 630 - 637 Authentic Assessment of Speaking Skills in Junior High School Armita Ayu Sekarsari1, Muamaroh2, Mauly Halwat Hikmat3 S400220003@student.ums.ac.id 123English Department, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia Received: 2023-04-11 Accepted: 2023-08-01 DOI: 10.24256/ideas.v11i1.3854 Abstract Authentic assessment is a pivotal in teaching-learning process. With the use of authentic assessment, teachers can measure students’ learning achievement and progress effectively. This research investigated how teachers implement authentic assessment focusing in students’ speaking skills in two different schools. The study applied descriptive-qualitative method. The participants of this study were two English teachers from two different schools. They were chosen purposively and interviewed to collect the data. In addition, documentation also used as additional information. The finding stated that the English teachers applied authentic assessment nicely through the usage of different kind appealing activities in their speaking class such as; oral performance, debate, interview, role play, discussion and presentation. Those activities above can be applied either individually or in a group. Keywords: authentic assessment; junior high school; speaking skills Introduction Authentic assessment is one of the ways for teacher to make a creative learning process in order to assess students’ skills and their knowledge. Authentic assessment can assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills that engage students to demonstrate their competence (Alfian et al., 2015). Besides, it also a form of assessment with new paradigm that more appropriate and comprehensive to measure students’ ability. Wangid et al., (2017) explained that in regulation system of assessment standard, the use of authentic assessment focused on students’ learning processes and the products. Based on O’Malley & Pierce (1996), authentic assessment defined as a process of evaluation that include multiple forms of assessing performance that reflects students’ learning accomplishment, motivation and also attitudes with activities that instructionally-relevant to them in a real world. In learning a language, English for example, there are four skills that must be mastered by students such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. Speaking can be considered as the significant skill in learning a language. The ability to speak a language can be a criterion that someone is mastering the language. In teaching- learning process the chance of teacher to encourage students to drill their speaking skills is a little due to some problems such as lack of vocabulary, lack of confidence, students’ motivation and so on. Speaking difficulties elaborated by Maji et al. (2022) and Franscy & Ramli (2022) in their studies. They clarified that students are having two aspects that affect http://u.lipi.go.id/1457703302 IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 1, June 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 631 their speaking skills, there are linguistic and non-linguistic aspects. The linguistic aspects are the problem with vocabularies, students’ comprehension, pronunciation, grammar rule. Then the non-linguistic aspects are the feeling of afraid when they make mistake, lack of motivation, shy, nervous, low of participation in the classroom and the mother tongue. Kusuma (2021) added that even Indonesian university students that study in The States feel anxiety when they have to participate in a class discussion. Andini et al., (2020) claimed that “speaking is the hardest besides the other language skills for non-native speakers”. They added that the reason behind speaking English is hard because it is a foreign, a difficult language, and the effect of teaching-learning English in speaking skills. So, it is important for teachers to make learning speaking is fun and attract students’ psychology. Supporting the notion above, Harmer (2015) elucidated that teacher have to give students praise or comment when assess students’ speaking performance. To praise students’ speaking performance the use of authentic assessment is essential. Since authentic assessment can help students learning speaking enjoyable also measure their speaking skill (Saputri, 2021). Speaking chosen in this study as the main topic by the reason of the problems that elaborated above. There are numerous previous studies that have been conducted by other researchers with similar topic. First, Alfiani & Wijayati (2022) explored English teachers' knowledge about the notion of authentic assessment. The study was descriptive-qualitative research that used twelve English teachers in two different schools. They found that those English teachers have a great knowledge about authentic assessment but they also found some challenges when applied authentic assessment in the class. Other studies that examined teachers’ understanding about authentic assessment also conducted by Mursyida et al. (2020), and Saputri et al. (2018). English teachers’ understanding about authentic assessment was good. A study from Afriadi et al., (2021) clarified the application of authetic assessment in a school by applying code switching from EFL teachers. This descriptive-qualitative study used questionnaires, observation, and interview to three teachers and 43 students asked to fill the questionnaire. It showed that authentic assessment was so necessary to measure students' ability in learning English. In line with this research finding, Daud et al., (2020) also found that an appropriate way of teaching speaking can improve students’ speaking ability. Besides, Putri et al., (2021) described the application of authentic assessment done by English teachers in online learning. Unfortunately, they found that the teachers did not apply all types of authentic assessment as planned before due to time limitation, the number of students in a class, and the materials. Then, Aziz et al., (2020) clarified the obstacles faced by English teachers in ESL classroom when they use authentic assessment. Interviews and observations were conducted to the teachers. The result of this qualiatative study showed that those teachers faced multiple obstacles in organizing authentic assessment. In addition, those teachers used variety of authentic assessment to encourage students in their learning process. Supporting the research finding about teachers’ challenges on authentic assessment, Zaim et al. (2020) conducted a study that aim to: 1) expose teacher’s challenges in authentic assessment for evaluating students’ English-speaking skills in junior high school, 2) investigate the needs of teacher in authentic assessment and 3) develop a model for authentic assessment that appropriate for both teachers and students. This research design used ADDIE Model and to collect the data used questionnaires. The result showed teachers’ problem in implementing authentic assessment, teachers’ need, and the appropriate model for authentic assessment. In addition, Junaedi (2019) outlined the application of authentic assessment that aimed to measure students' speaking skills in the class. In this case study, two English Armita Ayu Sekarsari, Muamaroh, Mauly Halwat Hikmat Authentic Assessment of Speaking Skills in Junior High School 632 lecturers chosen as the participants. The data taken from class observation, questionnaire, and interview. The study explained that two English lecturers had been appliying authentic assessment in their classroom, but they did not implement it properly in speaking class yet. Studies from Ningsih & Wahyumiani (2020), Rahayu et al. (2021), Rukmini & Saputri (2017), Inayah et al. (2019) suported the finding. All of those studies revealed that the implementation of authentic assessment in schools had done by teachers, still they did not applied in appropriate way yet. Even though there are some researchers who examined this topic, this study has distinction. This study focused on teachers’ application of authentic assessment for speaking skills in two different schools. The explanation about the variety activities applied by teachers when they teach speaking to the students in the classroom. Method In conducting this study, the researchers used descriptive-qualitative method. A descriptive method is a way to collect some information about topic being discussed (Creswell, 1994). The source of data taken from two English teachers in two different schools in Boyolali and Surakarta, Central Java. These two schools chosen since they have different status, which are private and public school, and their schools’ accreditation. The two English teachers selected purposively and interviewed to collect the data. The interview was structured-interview with questions about teachers’ notion about authentic assessment, teachers’ application of authentic assessment and the activities they organize to teach speaking in classroom. Documentation also used in this research to deepen the information. The data validity of this research used triangulation data source. Furthermore, the procedures in conducting the study can be seen as the followings. a) Find the phenomenon existed in related topic The researchers find the phenomenon that related to authentic assessment. This topic chosen since the researchers want to get further information. b) Collect the data for the research The researchers find the data. Data taken from data source which is two English teachers. The data is significant as a research foundation in order to organize the research. c) Determine the methodology of the research The methodology must be determined before conducting the research. It is used by the researchers as a guide in conducting research. So the research can be finished according to the plan. d) Analyze the data After determine the method of the research, the data will be analyzed conscientiously. e) Write the paper To finish the study, the researchers write the paper as final product of the research. Results After analyzing the data from the teachers, the researchers found that authentic assessment applied in these school is valuable. Some of these speaking activities below can be applied individually or in a group, so students can fulfill teachers’ instruction and do the assignment. 1. Oral Performance Oral performance is the most frequent teachers applied to measure students’ speaking skills. In this activity, students given topic to talk about and perform it in front of the class. 2. Debate Debate is one of speaking activities that entail students deliver their opinion and facts IDEAS, Vol. 11, No. 1, June 2023 ISSN 2338-4778 (Print) ISSN 2548-4192 (Online) 633 related to the notion given by the teachers in the class. 3. Interview Interview can be conducted between teacher-to-student or student-to-her/his classmate. In this activity, teacher can measure by watch students’ ability to answer the questions that uttered by the interviewer. 4. Role Play Just like a drama, role play also can be used to assess students’ speaking skills by watch their performance as someone who pretending to be somebody. 5. Discussion Group discussion used in order to built students’ self confidence in speaking to their classmates. 6. Presentation Presentation is similar to performance activity that require students talk about their ideas of something in front of the classroom. In this activity students can add other media, like power point, when they talk about their ideas. Based on those activities mentioned above, oral performance is the activity that dominate speaking assessment of a school in Boyolali. The teacher elaborates the steps in conducting his speaking class: 1) students are given time about five to ten minutes to make points about their ideas, 2) students perform their ideas in front of their classmates. But, if there is any student or group that having problem, the teacher gives them chance to recalling it. If the students still blank and do not know what to say, he allows the students to read their notes within a short time. So, he can observe and measure their attitude, competence, and skills. Below, the script of the interview. (R : researcher and T : teacher) R : “What do you know about authentic assessment?” T : “Authentic assessment is a teaching method that stimulate students in order to be more active in many ways, such as in their attitude, knowledge, and skills. And this method is currently being developed in Merdeka Curriculum.” R : “Have you apply authentic assessment in your class?” T : “I already use authentic assessment method.” R : “What kind of activities that you use to teach speaking in your classroom? Please explain it.” T : “When I teach speaking, I usually use the oral performance method. So student are given 5-10 minutes to make the points to be discussed, then they come forward to present the results of their work. But for students who have tried several times and still fail, I allow them to skim through their book.” Furthermore, in one of school in Surakarta the teacher uses different kind of activities to her speaking class. For instance when she applied these activities to teach ‘asking and giving direction’ material. The students grouped into pairs, each of them has to perform by asking or giving direction alternately. The teacher uses different activities in conducting her class to make students do not feel bored when they learn speaking in the classroom. She informed that she also used writing essay, writing journal and observation to apply authentic assessment, but these activities only used for other language skills instead of speaking skills. The interview can be seen below. (R : researcher and T : teacher) Armita Ayu Sekarsari, Muamaroh, Mauly Halwat Hikmat Authentic Assessment of Speaking Skills in Junior High School 634 R : “What do you know about authentic assessment?” T : “Authentic assessment is a learning assessment related to the real life context experienced by students.” R : “Have you apply authentic assessment in your class?” T : “Yes.” R : “What kind of activities that you use to teach speaking in your classroom? Please explain it.” T : “I have applied authentic assessment in the form of a project. At that time the topic that I was teaching was report text where my students divided into several groups and then each group I asked to make a mind map related to the characteristics of a predetermined theme (pets), after that each group was tasked with presenting the results project in front of the class. This type of assessment is able to accommodate students with visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learning styles as well as accommodate students with an interest in speaking.” Following to that explanation above, the implementation of authentic assessment in speaking skills in these two schools are well-structured. Teachers can measure students’ ability with appealing activities that done by students. Starting with making a plan before the class begin. The plan contains the procedure and the activities for students to assess their speaking skills. Discussion The result of this study revealed that the enforcement of authentic assessment in both schools were nice. The finding was in accordance with the studies from Afriadi et al. (2021), Ningsih & Wahyumiani (2020), Mursyida et al., (2020) and Rukmini & Saputri (2017) that claimed the usage of authentic asssessment in the class was great and can be another option to appraise students’ speaking skills instead the traditional assessment. The similarities of this study with previous studies are the method and the subject of the research. The method used in these studies are interview, then the subjects are school teachers. However, the previous studies also have differences with this study. Based on the subject of the research, Junaedi (2019) chosen English lecturers as the source of data and Daud et al. (2020) invited an English course to participate in the research. In order to find the result, Daud et al. (2020) utilize an activity named a seminar. The finding also different from Putri et al., (2021). They found three issues in teaching-learning process faced by the teachers, there are time limitation, amount of students, and the materials. In consecuences, the teacher can not apply the types of authentic assessement as he planned before. Conclusion Based on the explanation above, the authentic assessment for speaking skills that applied in these schools are great and the teachers know how to apply it in their teaching- learning process in the classroom. Students are be able to follow the teacher’s instruction and perform their assignments. Finally, this result can be additional information for teachers who want to apply authentic assessment in their classroom. For other researchers, this study can be a reference and additional information in conducting their study. References Afriadi, Z., Arifuddin, A., & Nuriadi, N. (2021). 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