The Future of Education
The Impact of Guidance and Assessment on Portfolio Assignments in Albanian High Schools
Klodjana Skendaj, New York University of Tirana (Albania)
Abstract
A student’s portfolio consists of various assignments used as an evaluation method to reflect their achievement and learning outcomes as required in each subject. This research aims to present the situation regarding portfolio assignments and the assessment methodology offered by the pedagogical staff by analyzing students’ perceptions and identifying the outcome and the validity of this grading system. It reviews how the educational institutions compiled and structured this grading system, comparing them to similar practices and formats in other countries and creating a general understanding of the aimed outcome and the actual situation. This study is centered on (i) Describing students' high school perception of the importance and relevance of the portfolio assignments in Albania, (ii) identifying the importance of clear structure and guidelines in the writing templates assigned to them: purpose, content, and benefits, (iii) Identifying the guidelines and instructions provided to teachers at high schools in Albania and analyzing their sufficiency in the teaching and evaluation process. This research used a quantitative approach by analyzing a sample of 374 online questionnaires delivered to students of private and public high schools in five major cities in Albania through Google Forms within eight months, from October 2022 to May 2023. The outcome showed that students had a significant absence of guidance on the portfolio assessment framework, adding the element of academic misconduct. It revealed a considerable lack of competence in composing original written works and a failure to attribute sources correctly.
Keywords: portfolio assignments, assessment, writing, templates
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