Assessment Practices In ESP Courses: Towards Authentic Evaluation In Higher Education

Abstract

This study investigates assessment practices in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in higher education, with a particular focus on their alignment with principles of authentic evaluation. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research first
examined students’ perceptions of assessment practices and authenticity through a validated questionnaire administered to 415 ESP learners across five disciplines. Quantitative analyses revealed a continued reliance on traditional, language-focused assessment formats, alongside
statistically significant but moderate disciplinary variation in the use of performance-based tasks. While students reported moderate exposure to real-world tasks and authentic materials, perceptions of evaluative transparency, feedback usefulness, and learner involvement remained consistently low. To explain these patterns, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 ESP instructors and document analysis of 34 assessment artefacts. Thematic analysis indicated that institutional assessments policies, generic rubric structures, time constraints, and limited assessment literacy
constrained the enactment of fully authentic assessment. Although instructors expressed strong support for task-based and discipline relevant evaluation, this commitment was not consistently reflected in evaluative criteria, feedback practices, or learner participation. The
findings suggest that authenticity in ESP assessment is often realised at the level of task design but remains limited in evaluative processes. The study contributes empirical evidence to ongoing discussions on authentic assessment in ESP and offers a foundation for developing more learning-orientated, context-sensitive assessment practices in higher education.