Abstract
The Philippines faces challenges in meeting the K-12 curriculum goals designed to foster multiliterate learners with 21st-century teaching and assessment methods. To address this, educators are shifting from traditional to more authentic approaches like portfolio assessment (PA). PA is a promising alternative that supports student-centered, reflective, and self-directed learning, aligning well with modern educational principles like digital literacy and effective communication. Despite its potential, PA is still underused and often misunderstood, making it difficult for teachers to implement effectively. Research on the use of both e-portfolios and traditional portfolios in the Philippines is limited, and teachers often struggle with organizing student work and providing timely feedback. This study investigates ESL teachers’ perspectives and practices regarding PA. It found that most prefer using process portfolios to track student progress over simply showcasing achievements. While teachers are good at collecting student work, they often fall short in revising and evaluating these portfolios. This reflects a need for better feedback systems. To enhance the use of PA in language teaching, the study recommends collaborative professional development that integrates diverse assessment methods and promotes standardized best practices. Furthermore, policymakers, teacher education institutions, and ESL practitioners should work together to strengthen portfolio assessment implementation through legislation, preservice preparation, on-going professional development, and further research.
Keywords: Authentic Assessment, ESL Education, Language Learning, Portfolio Assessment, Teacher Training.