Perceptions about performance assessments

This research was aimed at finding out how Performance Assessments were implemented in English speaking classes and what difficulties were faced by the teachers in doing them. The sample for this research was all the English teachers at SMAN 3 Banda Aceh. The research design for this study included observations of actions in the classroom during the learning process and also interviews with the teachers outside of the classroom. The instruments used to collect data were an interview guide and the observation sheets. The researcher interviewed the teachers about their perceptions towards the implementation of Performance Assessments and what difficulties they faced in doing them. Observations were made in the four English classes of the tenth and eleventh grades and one interview meeting was held with each teacher. In addition, the researcher recorded and took pictures of the teaching-learning processes in the classroom, and also collected the lesson plans to get more detailed information about the learning materials and assessments. Based on the research results, all of the English teachers at SMAN 3 Banda Aceh, as the sample for the study, were not familiar with the term Performance Assessments, but they recognized the characteristics of Project Assessment or Practical Assessment which they already applied occasionally. They also recognized that Performance Assessments could provide them with a more enthusiastic atmosphere for learning. Even so, such assessments were not favoured by the teachers due to their complexity and the many aspects of scoring required for one form of learning