Abstract:
The main objective of this study was to investigate of English Language teachers’ perceptions,
practices and challenges of assessing student’s paragraph writing skills at secondary school level.
There are 3 government secondary schools in Shenan. The researcher sampled one senior
secondary school 12 English Language Teachers through comprehensive sampling techniques
because they are limited in number. The study is employed a descriptive research design that
combined both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaire used as major data collection
tool: as well as interview and classroom observation checklists were minor tools. Questionnaire
distributed to 12 teachers; observation conducted with 4 teachers and interview was conducted
with 8 teachers. Qualitative and quantitative data analyses employed to enrich and validate the
data. The quantitative data analysed with in descriptive, and percentage. The result discovered
that teachers have a positive perception of assessing student’s paragraph writing skills were
better practice that indicated relationship between perception and practice positively. The
challenges that teachers faced to assess students paragraph writing skills such as teachers lack of
time to cover the contents, students prefer to use their mother tongue and lack of teaching aids like
tape recorders, cassettes and radio-program indicated negative
Based on the findings the researcher recommended that Ministry of Education, regional, and
woreda education bureau should provide teaching aids like tape recorders, cassettes and radio program to promote of assessing students paragraph writing skill . Students should develop
positive awareness towards paragraph writing skills in ELT.
