The theoretical part of this diploma thesis provides a broader academic context for the research presented in the theoretical part and is concerned with the specifics of the writing assessment. It proposes reasons why writing should be assessed, describes methods of assessment and scoring, and also examines writing tests. At the end of the theoretical part, the presumed controlling idea, called the washback effect, which significantly influenced the course of the research in the practical part of the thesis, is presented. The practical part is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the types of scoring ESL grammar school teachers employ for assessing grammar school pupils. The aim was to discover how many of them use analytical and/or multiple-trait scoring. It was revealed that analytical scoring the most used means of assessment. Holistic scoring was next, followed by multiple-trait and lastly primary-trait scoring. Other scoring procedures are rarely employed. The second part is a case study of assessment criteria of selected teachers which compares these criteria against those used in Cambridge English: Preliminary examination and the Czech state secondary school-leaving exam. The author of the thesis tried to identify criteria or descriptors which appear across these systems and could,...

Learner discipline is one of the pillars of the education system of any country. However, research studies have found that it has become the number one public health problem in state secondary schools in Mauritius, in particular, over the past decade. This study aimed at determining the role of principals in maintaining effective discipline among learners in selected Mauritian state secondary schools. The researcher determined the causes of a lack of learner discipline, the possible barriers that prevent state secondary school principals from maintaining effective learner discipline and the disciplinary strategies that the principal may adopt and implement for effective learner discipline. The qualitative research approach was used for the empirical inquiry carried out in the selected research sites. The researcher gathered information about learner discipline and disciplinary strategies from selected participants, namely 24 learners, 24 educators, 24 parents, 4 principals and 2 school superintendents from four state secondary schools through focus group interviews, individual interviews and non-participant observation. The study revealed that all the stakeholders in the education system of Mauritius, inter alia the principals, parents, school superintendents, educators, learners, the Educational Zone Directorates and the Minister of Education have a misconception of learner discipline. They follow a custodial perspective rather than a humanistic perspective of learner discipline at schools: they adopt reactive and punitive or corrective disciplinary approaches instead of proactive, preventive and positive approaches to learner discipline management. The literature study on the causes of learner indiscipline and the reseach-based behavioural strategies and the empirical inquiry in the selected schools allowed the researcher to make a critical assessment of the current disciplinary strategies implemented by the state secondary school principals. In addition, the findings of the investigation provided the researcher with the knowledge to propose a learner discipline management model. The model provides the principals with the research-based strategies and guidelines to effectively manage learner discipline. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)