The Effect of Portfolio Assessment on EFL Learner’s Reading Comprehension Ability

Reading skill is a fundamental requirement to lifelong learner success, yet the way teachers assess their student’s reading comprehension ability is challenging. One of the new trends in reading skill instruction is portfolio assessment. This study investigated the effects of portfolio assessment on EFL learner’s reading comprehension ability. The participants, 50 advanced (female) EFL learners were randomly divided into the control and experimental group. The control group was instructed through traditional assessment while the experimental group was instructed through portfolio assessment. Two reading comprehension tests as pre-test and post-test were given to students of both groups to measure their reading comprehension ability at the beginning and at the end of the study. The findings indicated that students in portfolio assessment group outperformed the control group in their reading comprehension ability. The results of the study suggested that portfolio assessment improves student’s reading comprehension ability