USING PORTFOLIO TO ASSESS STUDENTS’ COMPETENCY IN SCIENCE AT SOME PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Among various assessment tools, portfolio assessment has been viewed as an effective assessment method in various subjects and educational activities. However, portfolios have not been effectively utilized to assess students’ competencies in the science subject due to various reasons. This article explores the reality of using portfolios to assess students’ competencies in science subjects at some primary schools in Ho Chi Minh City through surveys of 198 primary teachers teaching in grades 4 and 5 at several primary schools in Ho Chi Minh City. The findings indicated that the portfolio assessment has yet to be effectively employed in classrooms because teachers have faced several difficulties. From there, the authors propose specific suggestions to improve the effectiveness of using this tool to assess students’ competencies in the Science subject.