Practices of continuous assessment strategies on students’ efl reading skills performance: ten secondary schools of ilubabor zone in focus

The main purpose of this study was to explore the practice of continuous assessment strategies on students’ EFL reading skills performance. It was conducted in ten Secondary Schools of Ilubabor Zone involving 500 students. The study was guided by the following basic research questions: First, what continuous assessment strategies were being practiced in Secondary Schools of Ilubabor Zone? Second, what is the relationship between the continuous assessment strategies practiced and students’ performance in Secondary Schools in Ilubabor Zone? Qualitative descriptive survey research design is used to collect and analyze the data. The data was collected from students using questionnaires, focused group discussions, and observations to elicit opinion of the students. The information from the questionnaires was presented in figures and percentages in tables while information obtained from interviews and focused group discussions were analyzed using qualitative techniques. The findings of the study revealed that: 1) different continuous assessment strategies were being practiced in Secondary Schools. 2) The findings of the study also showed a positive relationship between some of the continuous assessment strategies practiced in EFL Reading Skills classroom and students’ performance. Based on the findings, the researcher concluded that continuous assessment strategies positively contribute to performance of students’ EFL Reading Skills. Finally, it was recommended that regulations and policies need to be put in place so that all schools can benefit from the practice and a uniform policy should be emphasized. What is more training for teachers should be encouraged especially in the practice of continuous assessment strategies.