Research Publications

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Open Access
Assessment Literacy in Practice: A Study of Formative Writing Assessment Methods Among English Teachers in Wattala International Schools
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-09-15) Hafsa, S.F; Rathnasena, U
Research into the technicalities of Writing Assessment Literacy (WAL) is an expanding domain with many scholars stressing that its complex practical elements have not been fully developed in both pre- and in-service teachers due to oversights in teacher education and professional development. This study used survey data (n=20) and interviews (n=5) to investigate the practices of English language teachers related to the selection of formative writing assessments and the use of such assessment data from international schools in the Wattala Divisional Secretariat. The results complement existing findings that a majority of teachers mirror summative assessments in the practice of formative writing assessment, encounter challenges in the use and understanding of rubrics and feedback, and face limitations in the effective use of assessment results. The study concludes that specialized training in theory and practice related to WAL is needed to broaden the scope of classroom assessment methods used by international school teachers with focus on alternative assessment, transparent feedback practices, and purposeful collaboration between educators.
Open Access
An Analysis of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Sri Lankan IT Undergraduates: Frequency, Technology Usage and Performance at a Formative Assessment
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2022-11-10) Kalinga, J. C.
Learning vocabulary is an integral part in language acquisition and acquisition of academic vocabulary is a determinant for the success in an academic context. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to formulate academic vocabulary lists and identifying vocabulary learning strategies. This study seeks to explore the vocabulary learning strategies employed by IT undergraduates when studying academic vocabulary and to examine their performance on academic vocabulary related questions at the mid-term examination which is one of their formative assessments. The sample of the study includes 276 first year IT undergraduates who follow the module English for Academic Purposes in a Sri Lankan non-state university. A questionnaire is used as the research tool to obtain data from the sample and the result of the formative exam is used to examine the performance related to academic vocabulary. According to the data analysis, most of the students often use either monolingual or bilingual dictionary as a strategy for the discovery of a new word meaning. This is more emphasized as they have mentioned that they prefer using dictionary apps as a vocabulary strategy using online. A significant number of students study the spelling, meaning and form of a word and ask for help from their friends as strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered. When comparing the marks obtained for the vocabulary related questions at the exam, it is noted that the students have obtained less marks to the question in which they had to replace the underlined word/phrases with a more academic alternative. Thus, students need to adopt more effective strategies to acquire mastery of academic vocabulary. Moreover, they should reflect on the current strategies used by them.

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