Page 100 - Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

84 Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

ce reflects directly on their actions and the same time, they adequate their baggage of knowledge to
the present context and continue adapting what they know to future scenarios.

Assessment under CBE

It is essential to mention that in broad terms, assessment is a valuation in any situation. In particular
terms, the expression in education has evolved, as well as the method of instruction. In this direc-
tion, assessment is an opportunity for educating; and it reaches this approach when it serves as
the base for what students can and must do to continue their education. When assessing, we value
the reality that forms part of a process, and in which previous moments are a collection of informa-
tion about that reality. Therefore, the following stages are about information and decision making to
make a judgment (Garcia Ramos, 1989).

Methodology

This qualitative case study analyses the approach in which the educational policy of CBE assessment
is implemented in a classroom setting. For this research, the sample selected is purposive. Teachers
and staff administrators from a B.A. in English Language Teaching in the North West Region of Mexi-
co were chosen by identifying who the major stakeholders of the programme are, as well as who
could be affected by it. Furthermore, the site was also purposefully selected since CBE has been their
mainstream program for about eight years, an aspect that will provide more enriching information of
a well-established program.

For this study, four to five experienced teachers were selected, since they were imparting classes
in B.A. As part of the administrative interviews the chief of the BA was interviewed as well as the
Academic Administrator of the University. To answer the research questions, the method used for
gathering data in this qualitative study was developed in two stages: The first stage being exploratory,
and the second stage interpretive. A preliminary phase was performed to organise a documentary
analysis of the program and the current educational policy. Furthermore, a semi-structured interview
was applied to a purposive sample of teachers and administrative staff. The purpose of the interviews
is to inquire about the perspectives that participants hold about the studied phenomenon. Also, data
was gathered through class observations and a collection of learning outcomes that evidenced stu-
dents’ development concerning the specific competencies determined by the program. The study
holds non-participant observations in a semi-structured way based on the research questions. In ad-
dition, the interviews were conducted face-to-face with the participants with the aim of eliciting their
views and opinions which will be recorded as a reference.

The data gathered through the methods mentioned above will be analysed, and it is expected that
the results may enable the answers to the research questions posed in this project.