AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR WRITING COMPETENCE: ITS BASES AND DESIGN

Writing is an essential macro-skill, and it is imperative for communication and the dissemination of information. In order to improve students’ writing skills, authentic assessment is used to provide students with realistic tasks that prepare them for the real world. It is a crucial factor that guarantees students’ success in school, the workplace, and real life. To achieve that, this research was dedicated to the design of an English authentic assessment tool to enhance students’ writing competence. The study employed a predominantly qualitative research design, which is the generic or basic qualitative inquiry, and was conducted via two processes: analysis and design. Data collection was obtained through a survey of Grade 10 students and five English teachers and a systematic literature review of secondary sources. Analysis of collected data was accomplished using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, which generated codes of patterns. When the themes and sub-themes of the primary and secondary sources were outlined, a cross-case analysis was utilized to determine and combine similarities. The features, challenges, and gaps found in the sources were used as the basis for the design of the authentic assessment tool or rubric. A rubric assesses students’ outputs from a list of standards, and it is composed of three broad categories that focus on the context, process, and evaluation of authentic writing tasks. The goal of the rubric is to help teachers with an authentic assessment tool to supplement their teaching writing strategies and strengthen their pedagogical practices.