The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Massachusetts public secondary (middle school/high school) world language teachers who utilized the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics to evaluate student performance environments (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2012). This study was guided by the research question, “What are the lived experiences of secondary world language teachers who used Proficiency-Based Rubrics to evaluate student performance?” Husserl’s (1964) transcendental phenomenology served as the study’s conceptual framework, and Andrade and Brookhart’s (2020) classroom assessment theory served as the theoretical framework.
Semi structured interviews were used to gather data from eight participants. The emergent themes which evolved from this data were that performance feedback focuses on students’ individual growth, that environment dictates the level of adherence to the ACFTL rubrics, and that the proficiency-based classroom creates a safer and more collaborative learning environment. The findings of the study suggest that there was inconsistent implementation and usage of the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics by participants and that only some of the expected changes to instruction occurred as a result of the adoption of these rubrics.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Massachusetts public secondary (middle school/high school) world language teachers who utilized the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics to evaluate student performance environments (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2012). This study was guided by the research question, “What are the lived experiences of secondary world language teachers who used Proficiency-Based Rubrics to evaluate student performance?” Husserl’s (1964) transcendental phenomenology served as the study’s conceptual framework, and Andrade and Brookhart’s (2020) classroom assessment theory served as the theoretical framework.</p> <p>Semi structured interviews were used to gather data from eight participants. The emergent themes which evolved from this data were that performance feedback focuses on students’ individual growth, that environment dictates the level of adherence to the ACFTL rubrics, and that the proficiency-based classroom creates a safer and more collaborative learning environment. The findings of the study suggest that there was inconsistent implementation and usage of the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics by participants and that only some of the expected changes to instruction occurred as a result of the adoption of these rubrics.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Donovan, James"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Andrea Disque","Jennifer Galipeau","Andrew Stephens"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-04-17T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-04-17T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:34Z","subjects":["Proficiency-based rubrics","ACTFL proficiency guidelines","individual student growth","safe and collaborative learning environment","Secondary Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dune.une.edu/edu_diss/8","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Andrea Disque","Jennifer Galipeau","Andrew Stephens"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Donovan, James"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-04-17T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Proficiency-based rubrics","ACTFL proficiency guidelines","individual student growth","safe and collaborative learning environment","Secondary Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dune.une.edu/edu_diss/8"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Massachusetts public secondary (middle school/high school) world language teachers who utilized the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics to evaluate student performance environments (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2012). This study was guided by the research question, “What are the lived experiences of secondary world language teachers who used Proficiency-Based Rubrics to evaluate student performance?” Husserl’s (1964) transcendental phenomenology served as the study’s conceptual framework, and Andrade and Brookhart’s (2020) classroom assessment theory served as the theoretical framework.
Semi structured interviews were used to gather data from eight participants. The emergent themes which evolved from this data were that performance feedback focuses on students’ individual growth, that environment dictates the level of adherence to the ACFTL rubrics, and that the proficiency-based classroom creates a safer and more collaborative learning environment. The findings of the study suggest that there was inconsistent implementation and usage of the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics by participants and that only some of the expected changes to instruction occurred as a result of the adoption of these rubrics.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Secondary World Language Teachers Who Use Proficiency-Based Rubrics For Assessment"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Andrea Disque","Jennifer Galipeau","Andrew Stephens"],"dc:creator":["Donovan, James"],"dc:date.available":["2023-04-17T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of Massachusetts public secondary (middle school/high school) world language teachers who utilized the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics to evaluate student performance environments (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2012). This study was guided by the research question, “What are the lived experiences of secondary world language teachers who used Proficiency-Based Rubrics to evaluate student performance?” Husserl’s (1964) transcendental phenomenology served as the study’s conceptual framework, and Andrade and Brookhart’s (2020) classroom assessment theory served as the theoretical framework.
Semi structured interviews were used to gather data from eight participants. The emergent themes which evolved from this data were that performance feedback focuses on students’ individual growth, that environment dictates the level of adherence to the ACFTL rubrics, and that the proficiency-based classroom creates a safer and more collaborative learning environment. The findings of the study suggest that there was inconsistent implementation and usage of the ACTFL proficiency-based rubrics by participants and that only some of the expected changes to instruction occurred as a result of the adoption of these rubrics.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dune.une.edu/edu_diss/8"],"dc:subject":["Proficiency-based rubrics","ACTFL proficiency guidelines","individual student growth","safe and collaborative learning environment","Secondary Education"],"dc:title":["A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Secondary World Language Teachers Who Use Proficiency-Based Rubrics For Assessment"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:34Z"}