Empowering Young Learners: Exploring English Language Assessment (ELA) In Grades Two In Qatar Public Schools

Abstract

This dissertation investigates English Language Assessment (ELA) practices in Grade Two (G2) classrooms in Qatar’s public schools through the analytical lens of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). The study addresses concerns that early English assessments may place cognitive demands on young learners who are still developing foundational linguistic and cognitive skills. The study examines how assessment tasks are designed, implemented, and experienced in G2, and how these tasks influence students’ cognitive load components. Adopting a qualitative research design, data were collected from multiple sources to ensure triangulation. The dataset comprised semi-structured interviews with five G2 English teachers and two Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) decision-makers, three teacher focus groups, and an analysis of ten official assessment-related policy and curriculum documents. Data were analysed using a deductive thematic approach guided by the three components of CLT, allowing assessment features and stakeholder perceptions to be systematically mapped onto intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. The findings reveal a strong reliance on summative, test-oriented assessment practices in G2 English classrooms in public schools in Qatar. Assessment tasks were frequently characterised by high intrinsic load due to linguistic complexity and multi-step task demands, alongside substantial extraneous load resulting from unclear instructions, dense layouts, and unfamiliar task formats. Although formative assessment principles, such as Assessment for Learning (AfL) and Assessment as Learning (AaL), were evident in policy documentation, their classroom enactment was inconsistent and limited, resulting in minimal activation of germane cognitive load through feedback, reflection, and learner self-regulation. The study concludes that current ELA practices in G2 are misaligned with young learners’ cognitive capacities and developmental needs. These findings have important implications for teachers, curriculum developers, and policymakers, particularly within MOEHE. The study recommends the redesign of assessment tasks to simplify content, reduce unnecessary design-related cognitive burden, and systematically embed AfL and AaL mechanisms. These recommendations are based on a cognitively informed framework for developing developmentally appropriate, learning-oriented ELA practices in Qatar’s public primary schools.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science