scholarly journals A Reflection on Initiatives for Teachers’ Professional Development Through Language Assessment Literacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-213
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Literacy Initiatives ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

In this reflection article I examine language assessment literacy initiatives and their possible impact on teachers, and I discuss the connections that exist between language assessment literacy and teachers’ professional development. I explain that training for language assessment literacy may primarily foster teachers’ knowledge and skills and, secondarily, principles for language assessment (e.g., fairness). In conclusion, existing language assessment literacy initiatives, while limited in number, have the potential to advance teachers’ language assessment literacy overall and contribute to their professional development. Thus, this article may be useful to language teacher educators, particularly in the Colombian context.

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 Language Assessment Literacy and Teachers’ Professional Development: A Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-279
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Coding Scheme ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Core Features

In this literature review, I analyze the features and impacts of 14 programs which promoted teachers’ language assessment literacy. I used content analysis to build a coding scheme with data-driven and concept-driven categories to synthesize and then analyze trends in the 14 research studies. Regarding core features, findings suggest that the programs were geared towards practical tasks in which teachers used theory critically. Also, the studies show that teachers expanded their conception of language assessment, became aware of how to design professional instruments, and considered wider constructs for assessment. Based on these findings, I include implications for the construct of language assessment literacy and recommendations for those who educate language teachers.

scholarly journals Language Assessment Literacy and the Professional Development of Pre-Service Language Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-259
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo ◽  
Daniel Murcia Quintero
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Teaching Programme ◽  
Assessment Design ◽  
Development Of Language ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Language Assessment Literacy (LAL) research has focused on defining the knowledge, skills, and principles that the stakeholders involved in language assessment activities are required to master. However, there is scarce research on the relationship between LAL and the professional development of language teachers. Therefore, this exploratory action research study examined the impact of a language assessment course on pre-service teachers in a Colombian language teaching programme. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, teacher and researcher journals and class observations. The findings show that the course promoted theoretical, technical and operational dimensions in the language assessment design practices of the participants. In addition, it enhanced their LAL and professional development. Consequently, this study contends that the LAL course changed language assessment perceptions radically and encouraged pre-service teachers to design assessments conscientiously, a feature not explicitly stated in LAL research involving this group of stakeholders elsewhere.

scholarly journals Client Analysis in Teacher Education: What Some Canadian and South African Teachers Identify as their Professional Development Needs

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Epstein
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Professional Development Needs ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

The client analysis conducted in this study explores the professional development needs of11 language teachers, five in South Africa and six in Canada. The study employs a questionnaire and interviews to discover how each teacher's background and context affects his or her perceived professional development needs. Interviews show that teacher educators cannot necessarily predict teachers' professional development needs based on their backgrounds and contexts alone. A variety of inputs from recipients over an extended time is desirable and would yield more accurate predictability of an individual's professional development needs. This would result in teacher education programs that more accurately meet a teacher's real needs.

scholarly journals Language Teacher Assessment Literacy: A Current Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurdiana Nurdiana Nurdiana
Keyword(s):  
Language Assessment ◽  
Teacher Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Good Test ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Test Specifications ◽  
Alternative Assessments ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Teacher Assessment Literacy

<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>

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

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (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.

Theoretical Foundations of Teachers' Professional Development

2010 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Helleve
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Online Learning Communities ◽  
Educational Environments ◽  
Personal Attitudes ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

To be a professional teacher or teacher educator means to participate in an ongoing learning process. The main concern of teachers is to guide and help students to learn. This means that teaching is by its nature closely connected to personal attitudes and values. Accordingly teaching and teachers’ professional development cannot merely be dictated by policy-makers. Ongoing learning and reflection concerning education has to be built on teachers’ own participation. Recent research shows that teacher educators undergo the same kind of development as teachers do. Throughout this chapter the author argues for a close connection between teachers and teacher educators as a prerequisite for ongoing professional development in education. Possibilities to communicate through online learning communities have made reflective activities through action research between distant educational environments easier to organize and facilitate.

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 Critical Reflection in the Professional Development of Teachers: Challenges and Possibilities

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-85
Author(s):  
Marjeta Šarić ◽  
Barbara Šteh
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Personal Traits ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Support Students

Critical reflection in teachers’ professional development has received much attention in the scholarly literature, and there is an overwhelming consensus about its great significance to the quality of teachers’ work. Nevertheless, despite the well-established role of reflection, a large gap between the professed goals and the actual reflective practice of teachers remains. The article starts with a short overview of the different definitions of critical reflection in the context of teachers’ professional development and then underlines some empirical research findings on the problems that teachers and teacher educators face when putting reflective practice into practice, especially at the deeper and more complex levels of reflection. It continues with a consideration of teachers’ qualifications for in-depth reflection as well as the obstacles and challenges facing teachers and teacher educators. The obstacles occur at the level of individual teachers’ personal traits and at the level of the context in which reflection is done. Employing an analysis of the obstacles, the authors develop some guidelines on how to support teachers in their attempts at making critical reflection part of their teaching practice. It is crucial for this encouragement not to overlook the principal purpose of teachers’ critical reflection; to contribute to new insights, knowledge reframing, and the introduction of such changes in teaching that will support students’ learning and the development of the community for the better learning, work, and life of all its individuals.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document