The implementation of Portfolio Assessment in the English Class at Junior High School: A Case Study

Abstract

This research was conducted by using the qualitative case study design to report the implementation of portfolio assessment by the English teacher of public junior high school in the Regency of Banyuwangi. This research was conducted to give information about the English teacher’s strategy in implementing the portfolio assessment, especially the detailed procedures as well as the students’ portfolio. The participant of this research was the seventh-grade English teacher at a public junior high school in Banyuwangi. The English teacher was selected as the research participant because the English teacher has implemented the portfolio assessment since the academic year of 2017/2018 when the school has to implement the 2013 Curriculum. The English teacher used her strategy which was based on the English teacher and students’ conditions as well as their needs. Moreover, the English teacher has been teaching English for about seventeen years, so the English teacher has rich information dealing with the topic. In collecting the data, the researcher conducted an interview with the English teacher three times and documented the students’ portfolios. Then, the researcher applied the model of Creswell (2013) to analyze the data collected. The result of this research reveals that the English teacher implemented the portfolio assessment which was adapted from Zainul (2001). The implementation started from the preparation stage, implementation stage, and evaluation stage that was adapted to the need and conditions of the English teacher and the students. Where almost all the teachers implemented the portfolio assessment. This condition made the students feel bored and burdened. Therefore, the English teacher scored the students’ portfolios once a year and the students did the portfolio in groups although their portfolios’ scores were individual scores. On the other hand, the English teacher gave the portfolio assignment for the material of the descriptive text, procedure text, short functional text (notice, prohibition, and warning) to make the students easier in understanding the differences between those five kinds of text. However, the procedure text and short functional text are not the material taught in the seventh grade. Therefore, the researcher suggested it will be better if the English teacher implements the portfolio assessment by giving the appropriate materials to the seventh-grade students based on the syllabus. Moreover, it is important for the English teacher to conduct self-assessment or reflective-assessment for the students after doing the portfolio assessment to help the students be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. The result of this research is expected to be able to give meaningful contribution especially for the English teacher as a consideration in implementing the effective portfolio assessment and gave both the English teacher and students positive effect from implementing the portfolio assessment. Furthermore, this research is expected to become useful for future researchers as the additional information in conducting further research dealing with the implementation of portfolio assessment in the English class, especially in the junior high school context.