L’évolution de l’évaluation de la composante linguistique de la compétence à écrire par le ministère de l’Éducation : une étude longitudinale sur les épreuves uniques de 5e secondaire
This research aims to describe the ways in which the evaluation of written French has evolved within the “épreuves unique” of secondary 5. More specifically, it analyzes the evolution of evaluation methods regarding written language conventions in these examinations. A documentary research has allowed us to collect examinations and other related documents for a time span stretching from 1971 to 2012. Although our study specifically looks into the “épreuves uniques”, which were implanted in 1986, we have chosen to go back further in time in order to depict a larger portrait of certificate evaluation of French writing in secondary 5. Many aspects are analyzed: context of examinations, tasks contained within them, scoring parameters and pass levels regarding language conventions, examinations as a whole as well as writing and the French language. We have also observed the province-wide evolution of students’ results for these examinations. Using a variety of theoretical concepts related to the evaluation of written language conventions, a methodology was developed in order to allow the analysis of writing assignments. The latter notably reveals that the nature of such tasks and their parameters have remained relatively constant in time, particularly since 1986. The number of allowed language-related mistakes has augmented, whereas students’ results have remained stable. Furthermore, the historic perspective of this study illustrates how the ministère de l’Éducation nowadays allows a great importance to writing and the correction of spelling mistakes.
ministère de l’Éducation secondary 5 writing writing evaluation language conventions French