Learning Through Experience

Classroom-based assessment (CBA) is a crucial component in teaching and learning, as it not only develops teachers’ teaching skills but also informs students’ learning progress. Despite its significance, previous research has consistently reported that teachers encounter considerable challenges in implementing CBA effectively, often attributed to limitations in their knowledge, skills, and assessment-related practices. Therefore, there is a need to explore the learning cycle of CBA among teachers to identify existing knowledge gaps among selected teachers. This study adopts Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle as a theoretical framework to explore each participant's personalised journey of CBA knowledge through the four cyclical stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation. This qualitative study employs a phenomenographic case study involving three English language teachers from three urban primary schools in a district of Selangor. The data gathered from two interview sessions, classroom audio recordings, and documents were transcribed and analysed using codes that align with previous studies and the literature. The findings indicated that participants who completed the learning cycle were able to develop and restructure their CBA knowledge by linking experiences from each stage, as reflected in their extensive CBA knowledge. Despite completing the learning cycle, participants demonstrated varying CBA knowledge, skills, and practices. These differences were shaped by their distinct learning experiences, influenced by contextual factors such as the classroom environment, students’ language proficiency, and resource availability. In contrast, one participant who skipped selected stage(s) or did not complete the cycle demonstrated limited or superficial knowledge of CBA. This study makes a significant contribution to informing policymakers and educators about the importance of completing each stage in the learning cycle, as the experience gained from each stage contributes to new knowledge of CBA and/or enhances their current understanding of CBA

English language · Experiential learning · Language acquisition · Learning cycle · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Restructuring · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Reflective Practices in Education · Student Assessment and Feedback