An Investigation Of English Language Teachers’ Perceptions, Practices And Challenges Of Assessing Students’ Paragraph Writing Skills: Shenan Secondary School Grade 10 In Focus

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.