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Publication Date

3-1-2013

Abstract

Stronge, Ward, and Grant (2011) emphasize the fundamental need to evaluate the teaching that occurs in our classrooms. They add that in order to effect change in the quality of our education, we must continue to investigate what constitutes effective teaching as it has significant implications for both the education of and assessment of teachers and their students. In West Virginia, what occurs in world language (WL) classrooms has been the topic of ongoing discussions between members of the state foreign language teachers association, current teachers, and the state’s WL coordinators. Despite notable positive momentum in WL education in the state, scant data existed that would provide knowledge of the practices of WL teachers. The present research revealed that while teachers incorporate a variety of appropriate activities into their classroom, and both believe in the value of the standards and use them in planning their lessons, their implementation of standards-based assessments lag behind. The findings also hint at the similarity to the findings from the recent ACTFL Standards Impact Survey (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, ACTFL, 2011) with respect to how teachers nationwide interpret and incorporate the standards and standards-based assessment in their classrooms.

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