The effect of using portfolio on developing writing performance skills and reflective thinking in English language among elementary sixth grade students

Abstract

Fahad AlShareef

The study aimed to reveal the effect of using portfolio on developing writing performance skills and reflective thinking in English language among sixth grade elementary students, and the statistical significant differences between means grades of the experiment group and mean grades of the control group in the development of the writing performance skills and reflective thinking skills in English language due to the use of portfolio as a mean of evaluation. To achieve the objectives of the study the researcher used the quasi- experimental approach with control and experimental groups, and had been applied on a sample of sixth grade elementary students in the city of Taif consisted of (100) students, in teaching English course for the first semester of the academic year 1434-1435 AH, and after using the appropriate statistical methods the study reached to the result that there are statistical significant differences at the level of significance between the mean grades of the two groups the experimental and the control groups achievements in the post writing performance skills test and the post reflective thinking test in favor of the experimental group, and the existence of positive correlation statistically significant relationship between the grades of the experimental group students in post-test achievement in writing performance and the grades in reflective thinking. In light of the results of the study, the researcher recommended the need to take advantage of the methods of authentic evaluation in general and portfolio in particular in the linguistic performance evaluation among students in public education; for its effectiveness, and to take advantage of the writing performance test and the reflective thinking test presented in the current study, develop and apply to sixth grade elementary students; to determine the degree of their performance in writing English language and the necessary skills needed for their reflective thinking, and holding training courses for supervisors and teachers of English language to be trained on using self-learning patterns and methods of authentic evaluation in planning, implementation and evaluation of English language courses.