Educación
42
Roy Emilio Gamboa Mena
Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022
ISSN Impreso: 1409-0112 ISSN Electrónico 2215-3586
Período diciembre 2022 - mayo 2023
DOI 10.15517/PA.V22I39.53357
042. - 059
Portfolio Assessment in the English Teaching Program at the UCR, Western Campus
Los portafolios como estrategia de evaluación en la carrera de enseñanza del inglés en la UCR, SO
Roy Emilio Gamboa Mena
Sede de Occidente, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Ramón, Costa Rica
roy.gamboamena@ucr.ac.cr
Fecha de recibido: 21-05-2021
Fecha de aceptación: 01-11-2022
Abstract
Portfolios have been used as an assessment strategy for around four decades. Today, they continue to be relevant
-
-
Key terms:
Resumen
siendo alternativas de evaluación relevantes en diferentes campos de la educación incluyendo el área de la escritura
presente estudio investigó el grado de convergencia entre el uso de los portafolios como estrategia evaluativa en los
-
como herramienta de evaluación en la escritura a nivel teórico, los resultados indican una clara discrepancia entre el
en cursos de escritura por parte de los profesores. Con base en estos resultados, se sugirió la necesidad de capacitar
a los docentes participantes en la implementación de portafolios como estrategia de evaluación de la escritura, de
Palabras clave: portafolios, evaluación por portafolio, portafolios en la escritura, evaluación, evaluación de la escritura
43
Educación
I. Introduction
The use of portfolios as an assessment strategy has
use, portfolio assessment continues to be relevant
in the educational arena. Its use as an assessment
portfolio assessment is an evaluation strategy often
theoretical principles of portfolio assessment.
II. Theoretical considerations
History of writing portfolio assessment
light as a response to those needs. Furthermore,
remained an up-and-coming assessment trend since
portfolio assessment in the US as an alternative to
connected to its use as a replacement of other types
of assessment methods. Thus, portfolio assessment
Writing portfolios
need to be purposeful. This means that portfolios
not only need to have a clear assessment purpose but
to be a guided endeavor. Teachers should provide
be successful tools of assessment and learning.
that translates into learning. Furthermore, Martin-
learning by contributing to goal setting is made
of portfolios refers to a collection of purposeful and
important dimension of portfolios as she asserts
that portfolios are grounded on constructivist
theory of learning, and assessment via portfolios
a constructivist standpoint.
44
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
Writing portfolios as assessment
he proposes that portfolio assessment has been
a central role.
Types of writing portfolios
The different types of portfolios depend on the
lists three types of portfolio assessment: progress
can demonstrate attainment of learning goals; and
for formative purposes and portfolios used for
summative purposes. The third type is portfolios as
are used as accomplishment, portfolios include only
time. If they are used as progress, they cover a longer
portfolio offers evidence of both breadth and depth
formative evaluation purposes.
portfolio assessment
based pedagogy enables teachers to monitor and
learners become responsible in setting goals and
evaluating their progress; they enable teacher-
45
Educación
and portfolios can give parents evidence of student
naively tend to believe that portfolios are easy to
need to help learners in understanding the purpose
portfolio reliability and the elimination of bias in
Considerations for the creation of
writing portfolio assessment
It is important that teachers have a clear
goals, the reasons they are engaging in a portfolio
that specifying the purpose of the portfolio does
timeline for the portfolio, indicating the number
portfolio has on the course total grade. Moreover,
Table 1. Steps in implementing a classroom
portfolio program
their portfolios.
the portfolio, the different purposes, and
purpose.
or documentation? Good portfolios can
have multiple purposes but the teacher
and students need to be clear about the
purpose.
to collect.
samples.
plastic tub on a shelf in the classroom?
5. Select
criteria to
evaluate
samples.
considerable time as different rubrics
used at least once.
students to
conduct self-
evaluations of
younger students, the self-evaluations
a more analytic approach is desirable
including using the same scoring rubrics
46
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
and conduct
portfolio
conferences.
Teacher-student conferences are time-
consuming, but conferences are essential
enhance learning. These conferences
parents.
Parents need to understand the portfolio
parent, teacher-student conferences in
samples.
teachers a model for systematically designing and
the development and implementation of portfolio
Figure 1.
Framework for portfolio assessment
portfolios can be a success for both, the teachers, and
training on portfolio assessment is a must-have
assessment in their classes.
Principles for the scoring of portfolios
It is important for teachers using portfolio
assessment to have clear information regarding
the procedures and methods for the scoring of
to be clear regarding the instructional goals for
criteria should clarify instructional goals not only
of evaluation criteria should be readily available to
for the purpose of evaluating portfolios. Miller,
scoring rubrics are good for formative purposes
summative purposes. Furthermore, Johnson, Mims-
establish scoring guidelines to achieve agreement
understand the common strategies used in the
scoring of portfolios for them to be more at ease
implementation, teachers and students need to
and propose rubrics and rating scales to attain
procedures need to be determined and they need
47
Educación
be given the chance to participate in the creation of
consistency and transparency in portfolio scoring.
Empirical studies on the
implementation of writing portfolios
Previous empirical studies concerning the
recommended the implementation of practices that
help learners put together their portfolios and have
of portfolio assessment and implementation. For
based study of portfolio assessment use in
able to identify the uses given to portfolio assessment
Freshman English and for assessment of the
departmental program. She also found that 99% of
set of recommendations for portfolio development
and learning outcomes for freshman composition;
affordance of active student involvement in
determining standards of performance; faculty
involvement across disciplines to establish program
policies to promote collegiality; design of studies
that impact on departmental goals and longitudinal
studies to determine the effectiveness of portfolio-
evaluation of such studies to improve portfolio
the perceptions of 10 teachers from elementary,
about portfolio development, implementation, and
development, and implementation of portfolios;
portfolio effectiveness as an educational tool and
legitimacy as an alternative assessment; and student
roles and responsibilities in portfolio development.
teacher concerns about the amount of time invested
in preparing portfolios and the accurate grading of
university preparatory schools. This research also
This survey-based study included the participation
participation in the selection of portfolio content,
sic
the formative functions of portfolio assessment
recommendations to strengthen formative aspects
of portfolio assessment and for the integration of
teaching and assessment so that student learning of
48
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
based classroom can render summative grades more
a common theme in the conclusions of the studies
for the enactment of portfolios. Some of the
recommendations are aimed at teachers so they
in putting together effective portfolios. Other
recommendations focus on the need for attending
assessment and implementation. That is, the need
for teacher training on portfolio assessment.
III. Methodology
in English Teaching program at the University of
principles of portfolio assessment theory?
research endeavor is the pragmatic one because
the purpose of providing useful information for
In terms of the research approach, because both
comprehensive analysis of the research problem.
diverse as the health sciences, the natural sciences,
and the social sciences, amongst others. The study
program. This is a four-year program that trains
pre-service secondary school English teachers. The
to the essay level.
the program participated by sharing guidelines
collection process and the data analysis stage of the
49
Educación
assessments constructed by the participants for
the researcher based on the theoretical principles
described earlier in this paper.
constructed by the participants and used in the
steps. First, the data resulting from the assessment
tabulated and interpreted. Third, patterns in the
theoretical principles of portfolio assessment and
via the various data collection methods. Reliability,
protocols during the design of the study, the creation
of data collection instruments, the selection of
participants, the gathering of data, and the analysis
and interpretation of the data collected.
IV. Findings and Discussion
created by the researcher based on the theoretical
such an analysis reveal that there are nine out of the
thirteen criteria considered in the teacher portfolio
comply. Participant teachers mostly failed to include
about the purpose of the portfolio, the uses that
in the inclusion of mandatory aspects such as the
description of the type of entries that the portfolio
section.
50
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
Writing portfolio assessment teachers’
questionnaire
that all participants hold masters as their higher
active in the teaching profession for more than
eleven years. This implies that participants are
is substantial.
important, a little important, important, or very
important. It should be highlighted that the items
guidelines the participant teacher provided for this
This means that the participant teachers regard
the communication of portfolio directives in the
portfolio guidelines to students as very important.
used as assessment. The purpose that got the most
implies that participant teachers consider a variety
To ensure anonymity of the participants and to
depicts the participants of the study; the second one
for portfolio guidelines, P for participant, and the
number refers to the number of the participant in
the study.
Chart 1.
Participants reference codes
Participant
Number
Source Codes
01 Portfolio guidelines PG-P01
02 Portfolio guidelines PG-P02
Portfolio guidelines
Portfolio guidelines
05 Portfolio guidelines PG-P05
Portfolio guidelines
them learned about portfolio assessment in courses
51
Educación
of portfolio assessment by conducting research on
and on the other, that participants do possess
Participants also listed the advantages of portfolios
portfolio assessment affords for the documentation
evidence of student achievement. The opportunities
portfolios create. The last advantages of portfolio
assessment reported are the enhancement of critical
portfolios create for self-assessment on the part of
it can be inferred that the participant teachers
by the instructor, and they can become tedious and
repetitive for students. Second, PG-P05 asserted
that portfolios are time-consuming for teachers
sic
of teachers and students, and some students do
together everything that goes in the portfolio on
progress and products, the value of portfolios
sic
assessment by the participants.
In terms of the role students should have in selecting
that teachers determine the purpose but that
students should have a say in the choosing of the
entries since they are in a better position to decide
giving students a say in the choosing of entries
analysis of their portfolio. PG-P05 also concords
baselines for the creation of their portfolio. Finally,
amount of control in the development of portfolios,
52
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
participation of both teachers and students in the
development of portfolios is central to the success
of such an assessment.
Regarding the use the participants give to portfolios,
it should be noted that one of the participants did
peers. PG-P02 in turn, manifested using portfolios
assessment. To illustrate, PG-P0 reported that
sic
have a greater role in the assessment of the entry
sic
portfolio assessment. Thus, it can be interpreted
that participant teachers allocate a central role to
sic
sic
sic
that the participant teachers are great supporters of
on the part of the teacher.
Discussion
participants have of the theory about portfolio
portfolio assessment. This is illustrated by the fact
gap in the application of theoretical considerations
even though the participants, in general, have more
considerable. Second, the participants in the study
the communication of portfolio directives in the
portfolio guidelines to students as very important
53
Educación
assessment. Furthermore, the participant teachers
they have reported advantages for portfolio use that
participant teachers of the limitations that the use or
portfolio assessment since the active participation
of both teachers and students in the development
of portfolios, including the establishment of
evaluation criteria, is central to the success of such
recommendations regarding the use of portfolios by
of portfolio assessment theory is highly consistent
above.
investigations regarding the use of portfolios as
recommended portfolio training for teachers to
reported in the study. Such proposals are congruent
teachers in the present study to close the gap
portfolio assessment and the actual implementation
portfolio assessment needs to be provided.
V. Conclusions, limitations, and further
research
conclusions for the present study. First, there is a
theoretical principles of portfolio assessment and
their implementation of portfolios as suggested by
the analysis of their portfolio guidelines via the
suggested in the theory serves as evidence of
such a mismatch. Second, participant teachers are
and principles based on the results emanating
found in the fact that the participants regard
the communication of portfolio directives in the
portfolio guidelines to students as very important,
54
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
principles of portfolio assessment so that they can
suggested that the purpose of such training should
theoretical principles of portfolio assessment. It is
concluded that such alignment is only partial since
Limitations and further research
Regarding the limitations of the present
investigation, it should be noted that the conclusions
stemming from the present research are applicable
conclusions are relevant to the general discussion
limitation of the present study is that it included only
assessment in the program. Thus, it is suggested
VI. Bibliographic references
Teacher Perceptions on Student
Portfolio Assessment and Implementation.
Writing portfolios: Meaningful Print.
Research design:
Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches
Foreign Language Annals
Portfolio-Based Writing
Assessment: An Investigation of Postsecondary
Practices
Sampling and Purposive Sampling. American
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics,
Developing Portfolios in Education: A Guide to
Reflection, Inquiry, and Assessment
Portfolio implementation at Turkish
university preparatory schools, and teachers’
perceptions of portfolios and problems
experienced with portfolio use.
Developing Portfolios for
Learning and Assessment: Process and
Principles. RautledgeFalmer.
55
Educación
Portfolio Assessment for the Teaching
and Learning of Writing.
of portfolio assessment. Elt Journal
Classroom Writing Assessment
and Feedback in L2 School Contexts. Springer,
Capturing the Wisdom and
Practice: Professional Portfolios for Educators.
Measurement and Assessment in Teaching,
The Portfolio
Organizer: Succeeding with Portfolios in Your
Classroom.
Classroom Assessment: What
teachers need to know
Educational Psychology. The
The Portfolio -an Alternative
Assessment Method in the foreign Language
Classroom. GRIN.
A brief History: Why
did Portfolios Come into existence? Retrieved
a-brief-history-of-portfolios.html
56
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
Appendix 1. Teachers’ Questionnaire
WRITING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT TEACHERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
Purpose
The topic of the present research is Portfolio assessment in the writing courses of the Bachelor’s in English
Teaching (BET) at the UCR, West Campus: their alignment with theoretical principles of portfolio assessment
and general assessment best practices
Instructions
Part I: Academic information
1.
2.
57
Educación
Part II: Guidelines and purposes
not important, a little important,
important, or very important.
Information
not
important,
a little
important
important very important
evaluated
etc.
total grade
5.
58
Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 22 - No. 39 2022 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente
Part III: general aspects of portfolio assessment
1.
2.
portfolios?
5.
59
Educación
Appendix 2. Portfolio Guidelines Checklist
PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES CHECKLIS
Criteria No Comments
the portfolio.
described.
others is stated.
are included.
indicated.
