The Effect of Portfolio Assessment on General English Learners’ Locus of Control and Achievement

Portfolio assessment as an alternative to assessing L2 competence is an interesting
endeavour in Applied Linguistics. Previous research has shown that portfolio assessment
impacts learning as well as certain psychological constructs. One important factor which is
related to success in learning a language is Locus of Control (LOC) introduced by Rotter
(1954). Previous research has shown that EFL learners’ achievement is partially related to
their LOC.
However, the effect of types of assessment on General English (GE) students’ LOC has
scarcely been examined within General English context. This study aimed to find out the
effects of portfolio assessment on the locus of control and the General English achievement
of Iranian students. The researchers also analyzed the opinions of such students on portfolio
assessment. To do so, 80 students of GE were divided into two groups: a control group and
an experimental one. The experimental group’s LOC and GE achievement were assessed
through portfolios but those of the control group were assessed traditionally. Moreover, the
attitudes of the experimental group students towards portfolios were explored.