The Efficiency of Using Essay Scoring Rubrics in Increasing Learners’ Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The current study aims at investigating the efficiency of using essay scoring rubrics in increasing learners’ self-efficacy. It also attempts to examine the effectiveness of using this assessment tool in enhancing the students’ level of performance and scores. Hence, this study has hypothesized that using essay scoring rubrics while assessing learners’ compositions would affect their self-efficacy. To prove or reject the aforementioned hypothesis, a mixed method which encompassed a one group quasi-experimental study and two questionnaires has been followed. The quasi-experiment has started by administering a pre-test to forty one second year students at the department of English in 8 Mai 1945- Guelma- University, without the use of rubrics. After that, the rubric has been introduced to the students in written expression sessions in order to be familiar with it, its role, its content, and the way it is used. By the end of the experiment, a post-test attached to a scoring rubric has been administered with the same sample. Besides the experiment, two questionnaires have been distributed to twenty one teachers of written expression and fifty eight second year students from the department of English. Both questionnaires aimed at probing the teachers’ and students’ attitudes with reference to the topic in question. The scores of both tests have been compared using the T-test paired sample to test the hypothesis. The analysis of the students’ scores and the results proved the positive effect of scoring rubrics in enhancing students’ scores. Moreover, the obtained findings from the questionnaires revealed that the majority of the respondents share positive attitudes toward the importance of using scoring rubric and its positive impact on the learners’ self-efficacy. Accordingly, some practical recommendations were suggested to teachers in order to apply techniques that help in increasing students’ self-efficacy and improving their writing ability.