Analysis of Raters’ Scoring Behaviours in the Assessment of Writing
Analysis of Raters’ Scoring Behaviours in the Assessment of Writing

Summary/Abstract: This study aims to obtain descriptive data on the scoring behaviours of language teachers in the assessment of writing. In this study, the data related to the demographic information of 73 teachers, the scores they assigned to a particular written text, and the discourse describing their scoring process were obtained through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis revealed that the scoring behaviours of the teachers varied greatly and most of them did not use a scale during scoring. The ones who used scales, on the other hand, created their own scales that included different sections with either the same or different scoring attributes, which indicated that they were indecisive and not necessarily unified in their decisions. Another finding indicated that the teachers focused mostly on the formal dimension of the product, and only a limited number of them distinguished error types and considered the balance between the error type and the points. The results of the study also demonstrated that there was a significant relation between the scores of the raters and their gender, as well as between their scores and their institution.

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