Assessing Autonomy: A Comparative Analysis of Teacher, Self, and Peer Assessments in EFL Contexts

This study examines the impact of different types of assessment, teacher-assessment, self-assessment and peer-assessment, on Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ autonomy. Initially ۱۱۰ learners from Goyesh English Language Institute in Karaj, Iran were involved and then the sample was reduced to ۹۰ intermediate female students after administering the Preliminary English Test (PET). Participants were randomly divided into three groups: Peer-Assessment Group (PAG), Teacher-Assessment Group (TAG), and Self-Assessment Group (SAG), each with ۳۰ learners. A pre-treatment Learner Autonomy Questionnaire was used to collect the data which was validated through expert review and pilot testing to ensure the reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = ۰.۸۷). Semi-structured interviews were also used to collect the data. Assessments were conducted over ۱۲ sessions (۹۰ minutes each) across six weeks as follows: in TAG, the teacher evaluated the students’ essays; in PAG, students assessed their peers; in SAG, learners self-assessed their essays. The same questionnaire was administered as a post-test after the treatment. There was a significant difference in autonomy as revealed by ANCOVA, with the highest mean score achieved by PAG, followed by SAG and TAG. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating peer-assessment strategies within EFL contexts in order to develop learner autonomy. Implications on EFL teachers focus on the necessity of incorporating collaborative assessment techniques within their teaching materials to promote a more autonomous learning atmosphere within their classrooms.

کلیدواژه ها:

learner autonomy ، Peer-assessment ، Self-assessment ، Teacher-assessment