The Effects of E-portfolio, Paper-based and Essay-writing assessments on Iranian EFL Learners' Motivation and Autonomy

Rezadoust Siah Khaleh Sar, Hossein; Khalili Sabet, Masoud; Mahdavi Zafarghandi, Amir; Hassaskhah, Jaleh

doi:10.30466/ijltr.2025.55609.2829

The Effects of E-portfolio, Paper-based and Essay-writing assessments on Iranian EFL Learners' Motivation and Autonomy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hossein Rezadoust Siah Khaleh Sar ¹

Masoud Khalili Sabet ²

Amir Mahdavi Zafarghandi ¹

Jaleh Hassaskhah ¹

¹ Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities,University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

² Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

10.30466/ijltr.2025.55609.2829

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the effects of e-portfolios on the motivation and autonomy of English as a Foreign Language EFL learners with those of traditional paper-based portfolios, ninety intermediate male and female learners were selected from a pool of 120 volunteers at a Language Institute in Tehran, all of whom had completed a Preliminary English Test (PET) analysis. The learners were randomly divided into three groups: two experimental groups (one using e-portfolios and the other using paper-based portfolios) and a control group. Pre-intervention autonomy and motivation were measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Learner Autonomy Questionnaire (LAQ). This was followed by a 42-session intervention involving e-portfolios, paper-based portfolios, and standard assessment methods. At the end of the study, the same questionnaires were administered again as post-intervention tests. The analysis was conducted using one-way ANCOVA. The study findings indicate a positive impact of e-portfolios including self- and peer-assessment on learners’ motivation and autonomy, with paper-based portfolio annotations also yielding positive results. These findings are valuable for researchers, educators, and learners in the language education sector.

Keywords

e-portfolio

Motivation

Autonomy

Paper-based portfolio