Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 12 Creation is distributed under the Creative Commons License Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Published in: http://ejournal.stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id/index.php/smart Jurnal SMART : Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. AUTHENTICITY OF TEACHER’S MADE ASSESSMENT IN YOUNG LEARNER PROGRAMMES FitriWulandari 1) , Anvaliza 2) 1English Education Department of STKIP Muhammadiyah Pringsewu Lampung. email: fitriwulandari@stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id 2English Education Department of STKIP Muhammadiyah Pringsewu Lampung. anvaliza@yahoo.com Abstract This study aimed to investigate the authenticity of teacher’s made assessment in elementary schools in Kabupaten Pesawaran. The research design for this study was Descriptive qualitative method. It involved 3 English teachers. The data were collected through documentation, and questionnaires which were analyzed qualitatively. The result of data analysis showed that teachers’ assessment planning, assessment implementation as perceived by teachers and students didn’t provide completely. The teachers used traditional type of assessment such as multiple choice tests instead of authentic assessment. The limited knowledge and facilities became the problem of English teacher at elementary school in Pesawaran to implement authentic assessment. Keywords: Authenticity, teacher’s made assessment, young learner programs. 1. Introduction The successful in teaching and learning English in elementary school cannot be separated from the teaching management at the classroom such as teacher assessment planning, the English assessment used by the teacher and also the students’ progress to achieve their knowledge in English.Assessment is not only giving information about students’ competence but also giving effect to the development of learning in classroom. Assessment gives information about how well the students perform in relation to their competency.The competency needed by the student is related to what they need in real worlds. As result, the assessment should consider the tasks that demand the students to perform the application of their knowledge, skill, and ability in real life situation. As mentioned by Brown (2004: 39) in his book on title “Language Assesment: Principles and Classroom Practice”, he said that the fourth major principle of language testing is authenticity. Essentially, when you make a claim for authenticity in a test task, you are Jurnal SMART , Volume 4, No 1 (2018), Page. 12-18 ISSN Cetak : 2356-2048 ISSN Online : 2356-203X https://doi.org/10.26638/js.577.203X mailto:fitriwulandari@stkipmpringsewu-lpg.ac.id mailto:anvaliza@yahoo.com https://doi.org/10.26638/js.577.203X Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 13 saying that this task is likely to be enacted in the ‘real-world’. Moreover, Brown (2004) said that authenticity may present in the following ways: the language in the test is as natural as possible, items are contextualized rather than isolated, topic are meaningful for the learner, some thematic organization to items is provided, task represent or closely approximate real-world tasks. Many of the tasks and assessment of learning activities can be classified into authentic assessment for the task in accordance with the nature of authentic assessment. Nurgiyantoro et al (2011:34- 37) categorized types of authentic assessment such as performance, interviews, open questions, retelling the text or story, portfolio and project. Brown (2004:254-279) also mentioned the types of authentic assessment among others assessment based performance, portfolio, interviews, journal, conference, interviews, observations, self-assessment and peer assessment. The issue of authentic assessment becomes popular topic in some researches such as Anh’s research that investigated some primary English classrooms in In Ha Noi Vietnam. Anh (2011: 37) in his research entitled“Formative Assessment in Primary English Classrooms in Vietnam”,foundthatthe current assessment practice in primary English classrooms in Vietnam is highly traditional.Moreover, Georgiou (2011: 46) in his research entitled “Assessment in Young learner Programmes” found that an assessment system to young learner need to satisfy a range of characteristics, including: the assessment system should be congruent with the curriculum, the assessment tasks employed and the overall attitude towards assessment should be non-threatening, child friendly, criterion-referenced, and use variety of assessment tool. Thus, this research aimed to investigate the authenticity of teachers made assessment and its contribution to students’ English achievementatelementary schools at Pesawaran regency, Lampung province of Indonesia. Moreover, the study set out toinvestigate: 1. the implementation of authentic assessment in English lesson 2. the kind of authentic assessment that used by English teacher 3. the teachers’ problem in implementation of authentic assessment 2. RESEARCH METHODS In this research, the population is the English teachers of Elementary schools at three districts of Pesawaran regency: Kedondong, Way Lima, Way Khilau. The researchers used purposive sampling technique. The sample was Fitri Wulandari.......................................... Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 14 limited on three English teachers of elementary schools at Pesawaran regency. They are SDN 10 Kedondong, SDN 10 Way Lima, and SDN 3 Way Khilau. The data were collected through documentation (syllabuses, lesson plans, and teachers’ assessment instrument), questionnaires, and interview. The data were analyzed qualitatively. Instruments used in analyzing the data were rubric and questionnaires. Rubric was used to analyze teachers’ assessment planning, while questionnaires were used to analyze assessment implementation as perceived by teachers and students. The data were also analyzed qualitatively to analyze students’ English achievement after being assessed by teachers’ assessment. To find out the authenticity of the assessment, the data for the assessment and students’ English achievement were described qualitatively. The qualitative data analysis used the category for the conversion of the authenticity of assessment and students’ English achievement. It is used to determine the authenticity of the assessment and the level of the students’ achievement. The result of data analysis and conversion will be provided with more explanations, description and interpretation of the data analysis. These conclusion or verification is used to know the authenticity of assessment used by the teacher and how its authenticity contributes to the students’ English achievement. 3. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 The Implementation of Authentic Assessment in English Lesson The descriptive analysis showed the level of authenticity of teachers’ made assessment was seen from teachers’ assessment planning, assessment implementation as perceived by teachers and students, and also the level of achievement of the students’ English achievement in Elementary schools. Based on the data got, the teachers did not provide the planning of their instrument well. The researchersfound that most of the teachers did not provide the assessment completely such as did not use rubricsand blueprint. It was also found that most of the assessments were not students- centered. 3.2 The Kind of Authentic Assessment Used by English Teacher The teacher mostly used traditional type of assessment .They assessed the students’ competency by using multiple- choice types test. From the four language skills, the students stated that they rarely, almost never, having listening and speaking class. The teacher mostly asked them to write some vocabularies related to Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 15 the topic and asked them to do some exercises. In the school where there was a worksheet given to the students, the students mostly were given task from the worksheet. And it was considered as writing activity. In speaking activity, the students rarely given chance to practice some conversations which can enhance their ability in speaking. The students only memorize some vocabulary in speaking class. 3.3 The Problem in ImplementingAuthentic Assessment Based on the result of interviews and questioners conducted to the teachers, they got some problems in applying authentic assessment such as the limit of facilities and infrastructure, teachers’ knowledge of authentic assessment, time, the difficulty of applying an authentic assessment of a particular competency, and the limit of the students’ progress in English. Discussion The Implementation of Authentic Assessment in English Lesson The teachers’ assessment planning doesn’t provide complete instruments such as rubrics and blueprint. According to Diaz-Rico (2004:82), a rubric is a scoring guide that provides criteria to describe various requirements or level of students’ performance. The scoring rubrics could help the teacher to score the students’ work more accurately, quickly, fairly, and reliably. Without having a scoring rubric, the teachers would not have any guidance in how to give scoring to the students’ work. Meanwhile, when there was a rubric, there was no clear criteria and description about the descriptor of the aspects being assessed. Most of English teachers in Elementary schools in Kabupaten Pesawaran were not from English major, thus they may have little knowledge in teaching English. Moreover, from the result of interview, the teachers stated that they did not really understand about the term of authentic assessment. Since English was considered as local content subject, the teachers rarely used the assessment planning they have. However, from the analysis and interview with the teachers, it was found that all of the teachers never asked or included the students in the process of the planning. It was because the teachers thought that Elementary students have no ability to determine their learning. Another reason was that the assessment planning was made by the government and the teacher did not develop it anymore. As the result, the teacher had no intention to have discussion with the students in planning their learning. In fact, it is important to include the students in the process of Fitri Wulandari.......................................... Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 16 planning in order to know the best strategies to teach the students. The students have the role in determining and describing the evaluation criteria. Since the teachers were teaching students of Elementary level, the lesson plan used by the teachers mostly being focused on the teachers’ role as the one who gave information to the students. In accordance with that, Hernandez in Diaz- Rico (2004:104) stated that too often educators assume that students at the beginning level of proficiency in English cannot learn advance skills. As the result, the intellectual level of the curriculum is adjusted downward to teach isolated skills that do not foster the cognitive process necessary for self-directed learning. Ideally, teachers should provide the tasks that promote high-level instruction that will allow English learners to extend their academic potential. 4.2 The Kind of Authentic Assessment Used by English Teacher The teacher mostly used traditional type of assessment where the teachers assessed the students’ competency by using multiple-choice types test. The teachers acknowledged that since their knowledge about English was limited, the easiest way to use in making the test by giving multiple choice type test. Moreover, the teacher also thought that by using multiple-choice type test, the students will be easier to answer the questions. Multiple-choice items do not measure how well examinees can produce, generate, or create, and express their ideas in their own words.Moreover, the teachers gave multiple choice tests for the students to test the four language skills. From the interview with the teachers, they only gave those types for the students. There was no specific assessment to assess student’s competency in each language skill.Moreover, the students also said that when they took the test, whenever they did not know the meaning of the words in the test, the students would ask the teachers. The meaning of the words, and the teacher would tell them about it. As the result, the students could answer the question correctly and got high score from this test. Other factors that influence students’ English achievement came from what the teachers and students perceived about the assessment implementation. Gulikers et al (2006) states that the students would learn better and get benefit from the learning if the learning had closely related to their real life situation. With the teachers’ practice experience of assessment, the teacher might lead the students into a good way. However, if what the teachers perceived about assessment was wrong, it will give bad impact on students’ learning. It can be concluded that the teachers at Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 17 elementary schools in Pesawaran used non-authentic assessment. 4.3The Problem in Implementing Authentic Assessment The teachers had limited knowledge about the implementation of assessment.They also never included the students in the way they planned the assessment. Basically, it is important to include the students in planning the assessment in which it will help the teacher to know the students’ preferences, style and strategies in learning. Hernandez in Diaz-Rico (2004:104) stated that too often educators assume that students at the beginning level of proficiency in English cannot learn advance skills. As the result, the intellectual level of the curriculum is adjusted downward to teach isolated skills that do not foster the cognitive process necessary for self-directed learning. The second problem that was found was the limited facilities. Based on observation all the elementary school in Pesawaran around 30% that have good facilities, as a result learning process is not effective. Active productive competence or speaking and writing are very appropriate if the value with an authentic assessment model. However, for the assessment of active receptive is somewhat difficult if the measure using an authentic assessment? Listening competence have highest percentage as a competence that are difficult to apply that another competence namely writing, speaking and reading. Listening and reading competence are an active receptive competence so the assignment of both is quite difficult. In this case the teacher must be creative in arranging question. Most of English teacher in elementary school at KabupatenPesawaran stated that in applying an authentic assessment of learners is difficult. It was becausethe student’s ability in English was low. Teachers also sometimes did not see the authentic task as an important task so that only do based on their wish and not accordance with the criteria given. It happens because the teacher never repeats the daily test in the form of authentic task so students consider authentic assessment only as a learning process and are not assessed. 4. CONCLUSION The English teachers at Pesawaran Lampung didn’t providetheir assessment planning withrubrics and blueprint. 1. The English teachers at Pesawaran Lampung didn’t apply authentic assessment. They mostly used traditional typed of assessment such as multiple choice test. 2. The limited knowledge of how to the implement authentic assessment and limited facilities were the problem had Fitri Wulandari.......................................... Authenticity Of Teacher’s............................ 18 by the English teachers at Pesawaran Regency to implement authentic assessment 5. REFERENCES Anh, Lan Pham. (2011). Formative Assessment in Primary English Classrooms in Vietnam. New Directions: Assessment and Evaluation. A collection of Paper.Pp. 33- 38 East Asia: British Council. Brown, H. Douglas. (2004). Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices: United Stated of America. A Pearson Education, Inc. Diaz-Rico, Lyne T. (2004). Strategies for Teaching English Learners. Pearson Education, Inc. Gulikers, J., Bastian, T., and Kirscher, P. (2006). Authentic Assessment, Students’ and Teacher Perceptions: The Practical Value of the Five Dimensional Framework.Journal of Vacational Education and Training.Vol. 58. Pp.337-357. Georgiou, LoannouShophie. (2011). Assessment in Young Learner Programmes. New Directions: Assessment and Evaluation. A collection of Paper. Pp. 41-48. East Asia: British Council. Nurgiyantoro, Burhan, and Suyata, Puijati. (2011). The Development of Authentic Assessment Model in Learning Language. Yogyakarta: FBS-UNY kampus Karangmalan.