scholarly journals A Post-Positivist and Interpretive Approach to Researching Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-200
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Interpretive Research ◽  
Key Players ◽  
Interpretive Approach ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Testing Field

The language assessment literacy of English language teachers has been one of the topics of discussion in the language testing field. In this article, I focus on the need to expand research constructs and methodologies to understand, in depth, the language assessment literacy for these key players in language assessment. I first explain the need to focus on language teachers and examine current challenges in researching language assessment literacy. Then, I reflect on how post-positivist, interpretive research constructs and methodologies can expand and why they should. If this happens, research might yield more valid, useful data to unveil the complexities of language assessment literacy for language teachers. That data can provide valuable feedback to advance teachers’ professional development through language assessment literacy.

scholarly journals Language Assessment Literacy: Insights for Educating English Language Teachers through Assessment

HOW ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 78-92
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
The Status ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

At some point, language teachers need to be engaged in language assessment in their profession. Because language assessment is such a primary task for teachers, the field of language testing is encouraging research around the knowledge, skills, and principles that are foundational for sound assessment. In this paper, I provide a definition of Language Assessment Literacy (LAL), especially when it comes to teachers, by reviewing existing models. I then discuss ongoing issues in this area and end the paper by offering language teacher educators suggestions for fostering LAL among pre- and in-service teachers. In the article, I argue that, if more LAL initiatives take place, we are collectively raising the status and nature of language assessment and its impact on teachers’ professional development.

scholarly journals A study of EFL teachers’ classroom grading practices in secondary schools and private institutes: a mixed methods approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Nowruzi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Motivation Enhancement ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Internal And External Factors

AbstractThis explanatory sequential mixed methods study aimed at exploring the grading decision-making of Iranian English language teachers in terms of the factors used when assigning grades and the rationales behind using those factors. In the preliminary quantitative phase, a questionnaire was issued to 300 secondary school and private institute EFL teachers. Quantitative data analyses showed that teachers attached the most weight to nonachievement factors such as effort, improvement, ability, and participation when determining grades. Next, follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 teachers from the initial sample. The analyses of interview data revealed that teachers assigned hodgepodge grades on five major grounds of learning encouragement, motivation enhancement, lack of specific grading criteria, pressure from stakeholders, and flexibility in grading. Data integration indicated that teacher grading decision-making was influenced by both internal and external factors, with adverse consequences for grading validity. Eliciting explanations for the use of specific grading criteria from the same teachers who utilized those criteria in their grading in a single study added to the novelty of this research. Implications for grade interpretation and use, accountability in classroom assessment, and teachers’ professional development are discussed.

Developing English Language Teachers' Professional Capacities through Digital and Media Literacies

2016 ◽  
pp. 414-437
Author(s):  
Lucas Moreira dos Anjos-Santos ◽  
Michele Salles El Kadri ◽  
Raquel Gamero ◽  
Telma Gimenez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Instructional Material ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
State University ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

This chapter aims to demonstrate how a group of educators from a southern Brazilian state university designed and implemented formative workshops to sustain English language teachers' professional development through digital and media literacies. The chapter maps important changes that have happened in language teacher education in Brazil and the convergences these changes share with digital and media literacies coming from a sociocultural paradigm. It also presents and discusses the extent to which the instructional material the group of educators produced for the continuing education of English language teachers integrated 21st century skills and the standards from the TESOL technology framework. As a way to evaluate the instructional material, the chapter analyzes the representations and identities schoolteachers constructed when engaging with digital and media literacies through the instructional material. The chapter concludes by advocating more social, political and collaborative future research in language teacher education and digital and media literacies.

Teacher Development: Strategies and Perception

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
Padam Lal Bharati ◽  
Subas Chalise
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Clear Idea

Aspects of teachers’ professional development in general and EFL teachers in non-English speaking countries in particular are issues that warrant constant research. Although these are widely researched areas internationally, within Nepal grounded professional development studies have been sparsely carried out. A considerable section of practicing English language teachers has no clear idea of the issue although it directly concerns themselves. Against this backdrop, this article explores some EFL teachers’ perception on the concept of teacher development in a relatively sophisticated centrally located town of Nepal.The Saptagandaki Journal Vol.8 2017: 69-78

Developing English Language Teachers' Professional Capacities through Digital and Media Literacies

2016 ◽  
pp. 91-114
Author(s):  
Lucas Moreira dos Anjos-Santos ◽  
Michele Salles El Kadri ◽  
Raquel Gamero ◽  
Telma Gimenez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Instructional Material ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
State University ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

This chapter aims to demonstrate how a group of educators from a southern Brazilian state university designed and implemented formative workshops to sustain English language teachers' professional development through digital and media literacies. The chapter maps important changes that have happened in language teacher education in Brazil and the convergences these changes share with digital and media literacies coming from a sociocultural paradigm. It also presents and discusses the extent to which the instructional material the group of educators produced for the continuing education of English language teachers integrated 21st century skills and the standards from the TESOL technology framework. As a way to evaluate the instructional material, the chapter analyzes the representations and identities schoolteachers constructed when engaging with digital and media literacies through the instructional material. The chapter concludes by advocating more social, political and collaborative future research in language teacher education and digital and media literacies.

Teachers' Professional Development in the Digitized World

2016 ◽  
pp. 145-154
Author(s):  
Emsal Ates Ozdemir ◽  
Kenan Dikilitaş
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Constructivist Learning Theory ◽  
Personal Meanings ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

Professional development for in-service English language teachers has increasingly become a need in higher education not only in Turkey but across the world. Due to the limited time teachers have and the distance between the source of service and the potential participants, using digitized activities and materials have naturally become a necessity. The purpose of this research is to report the potential impact of the course described below and discuss the role of blended learning experience of professional development on the participating teachers. The theoretical background of the study is experiential learning initiated by Kolb and socio-constructivist learning theory by Vygotsky in that both theories highlight the role of experiencing the change and focus on personal meanings and learning with and from others in real and online environments.

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