Developing oral presentation-related self-assessment among prospective teachers of German as a foreign language: Analysis of self-assessment comments

Abstract

Learner self-assessment is a significant predictor of learning outcomes (Hattie, 2018). However, it is insufficiently implemented in Czech secondary schools (Czech School Inspectorate, 2021). One of the reasons for this may be the lack of teachers’ experience in developing their own self-assessment skills. This paper presents a study framed by a 12-week intervention programme to develop self-assessment skills focused on presenting in German among prospective teachers of German as a foreign language (n=15). The study examined the content (characteristics) of the participants’ self-assessment comments collected before and after the intervention program. A total of 25 self-assessment comments were collected using the “Lautes Erinnern” method (13 before the intervention, 12 after the intervention) and analysed using the inductive category formation of the qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2014). The analysis revealed three main characteristics of the development of self-assessment: increasing evidence in the self-assessment comments, a shift in focus from the predominance of non-languagespecific to language-specific assessment, and a shift in focus from mostly negative to also positive aspects of performance. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications for better teacher education that develops their self-assessment skills appropriately.

Keywords

• student self-assessment
• development of self-assessment skills
• content analysis
• German as a foreign language
• teacher education