New Horizons in Education

Abstract

Background: In recent years, reforms on Chinese language assessment have been introduced in Hong Kong. Teachers have attended different seminars about the new trend of assessment in Hong Kong and they have opinions on it.

Aims: (1) To find out primary Chinese language teachers’ perception and their implementation of the new assessment. (2) To explore the difficulties teachers encounter in the implementation of the new assessment.

Sample: The sample was chosen from the in-service primary Chinese language teachers who enrolled in the five weeks retraining course during the academic year 2005–2006. They were qualified and experienced teachers.

Method: Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used in this study. Questionnaires were sent to 90 in-service primary Chinese language teachers and 80 returned the questionnaires, the return rate is 89%. Then, a total of six teachers were interviewed, all are experienced teachers with at least five years of teaching.

Results: Finding indicates that many teachers agree with the rationale of the new assessment, however, they do not actually know how to implement it in their classrooms. They encounter difficulties in implementation. The “backwash effect” has great impact on their teaching.

Conclusion: Finding indicates that many teachers encounter problems in the implementation of the rationale of new assessment. However, it is suggested that with the support of the teacher educators, principals, parents and teachers, such problems will be solved.

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