The Influence of TESOL Teacher Assessment Literacy on the Ethicality of English Language Assessment and the Position of Kurdish TESOL teachers

<span>H<span>Half of the language teachers’ time is spent on assessing students’ performance. Therefore, they should be literate to language assessment in terms of how to make a good test or knowing which method appropriate to assess their students’ learning. Without having assessment literacy, they may not be able to help their students achieve the best results of their performance. For this reason, the present study attempts to examine language teacher assessment literacy and how it has been measured. Besides, suggestions and recommendations for language teachers regarding assessment literacy are discussed in this study. A literature review was employed to conduct this research. Findings suggest that language teachers need more training on language assessment due to their lack of knowledge of language assessment. Although some of them are assessment literate, they do not practice the knowledge in their classroom. This implies that the training they need could be on how to select appropriate assessments for their students, how to design a test, alternative assessments, and test specifications.</span></span>

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Language assessment literacy: what do we need to learn, unlearn, and relearn?

Language Testing in Asia ◽

10.1186/s40468-020-00101-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christine Coombe ◽

Hossein Vafadar ◽

Hassan Mohebbi

Keyword(s):

Teacher Educators ◽

Deep Understanding ◽

Language Assessment ◽

Teacher Assessment ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Assessment Literacy ◽

Teacher Competence ◽

Literacy Assessment ◽

Increasing Demand ◽

Teacher Assessment Literacy

Abstract Recently, we have witnessed a growing interest in developing teachers’ language assessment literacy. The ever increasing demand for and use of assessment products and data by a more varied group of stakeholders than ever before, such as newcomers with limited assessment knowledge in the field, and the knowledge assessors need to possess (Stiggins, Phi Delta Kappa 72:534-539, 1991) directs an ongoing discussion on assessment literacy. The 1990 Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students (AFT, NCME, & NEA, Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice 9:30-32, 1990) made a considerable contribution to this field of study. Following these Standards, a substantial number of for and against studies have been published on the knowledge base and skills for assessment literacy, assessment goals, the stakeholders, formative assessment and accountability contexts, and measures examining teacher assessment literacy levels. This paper elaborates on the nature of the language assessment literacy, its conceptual framework, the related studies on assessment literacy, and various components of teacher assessment literacy and their interrelationships. The discussions, which focus on what language teachers and testers need to learn, unlearn, and relearn, should develop a deep understanding of the work of teachers, teacher trainers, professional developers, stakeholders, teacher educators, and educational policymakers. Further, the outcome of the present paper can provide more venues for further research.

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