ANALYZING STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE PATTERNS ACROSS ATTENDANCE, MIDTERM, FINAL EXAM AND FINAL COURSE SCORES: A CASE STUDY IN A VIETNAMESE ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

Abstract

This study investigates student performance patterns across four key assessment components: attendance, midterm exam, final exam, and overall course scores in an English as a foreign language classroom at a Vietnamese university. The participants included 45 first-year students, most of whom come from rural and mountainous areas with limited access to English learning resources. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study explored the relationship among attendance, continuous assessment, and exam performance. The findings revealed a significant gap between high attendance rates and low final exam results, suggesting that attendance alone did not predict academic success. The final exam was identified as the most challenging component, strongly influencing the overall course scores. These results highlight potential misalignments among teaching methods, assessment design, and student learning processes. Based on these findings, the study recommends revising exam formats, adopting interactive teaching strategies, and providing additional academic support to enhance student learning outcomes and assessment fairness.