ISANA

Dianne Jonasson

Abstract:  When International students from non-English speaking backgrounds (INESB students) choose to study in an Australian university, they come, like any student, with hopes, expectations, and understandings. Their teachers also have hopes, expectations, and understandings regarding these students. In fact, it appears that students and teachers are generally hoping for the same things, namely, that students will pass their subjects, understand the concepts, and improve their English. However, while both parties appear to be hoping for the same outcomes, there are significant differences in the extent to which they hope for these things. And, more critically, there exists a fundamental mismatch between students’ and teachers’ expectations, and their understandings about how these outcomes might be achieved.

This paper presents an overview of these hopes, expectations and understandings and discusses how they are either reinforced or reconsidered by students and teachers following the critical moment of assessment. It also considers how this influences a student’s choice of deep or surface learning strategies. It suggests that assessment itself may be the master key unlocking the level of achievement, the level of understanding, and the level of language that these students, and their teachers, are hoping for. Finally, this paper presents a practical suggestion of how these outcomes might be achieved.

Key Words: Assessment Deep/surface learning English language Learning Journals Discourses

Download article