scholarly journals The Evolving Concept of (Language) Assessment Literacy. Implications for Teacher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-130
Author(s):  
Ildikó Csépes
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Classroom Assessment ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Assessment Decisions ◽  
Context Specific

Language teachers’ assessment knowledge and skills have received considerable attention from language assessment researchers over the past few decades (Davison & Leung, 2009; Hill & McNamara, 2012; Rea-Dickins, 2001; Taylor, 2013). This seems to be linked to the increased professionalism expected of them in classroom-based assessments. However, teachers seem to face a number of challenges, including how large-scale standardized language exams influence their classroom assessment practices. Teachers’ assessment literacy, therefore, needs to be examined in order to explain their assessment decisions. In this paper, we review the concept of (language) assessment literacy, how it has evolved and how it is conceptualized currently. Recent interpretations seem to reflect a multidimensional, dynamic and situated view of (language) assessment literacy. Implications for teacher education are also highlighted by presenting research findings from studies that explored teachers’ and teacher candidates’ assessment literacy in various educational contexts. As a result, we can identify some common patterns in classroom assessment practices as well as context-specific training needs. Finally, we make a recommendation for tackling some of the challenges language teachers are facing in relation to classroom-based assessment in the Hungarian context.

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 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 Swedish and Finnish Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Summative Assessment Practices

Languages ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Raili Hilden ◽  
Anne Dragemark Oscarson ◽  
Ali Yildirim ◽  
Birgitta Fröjdendahl
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Summative Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Summative Assessments ◽  
Curricular Alignment ◽  
Oral Skills

Summative assessments are an exercise of authority and something that pupils cannot easily appeal. The importance of teachers being able to assess their pupils correctly is consequently both a question of national equivalence and individual fairness. Therefore, summative assessment is a paramount theme in teacher education, and we aimed to investigate the perceptions and competence of student teachers regarding common summative assessment practices. The study was conducted at three universities, two in Sweden and one in Finland involving prospective language teachers responding to an online survey (N = 131). In addition, interviews were carried out with 20 Swedish and 6 Finnish student teachers. The analysis of the data indicates that student teachers value practices that enhance communication and collaboration as well as the curricular alignment of summative assessments. With respect to perceived competence, the respondents in general felt most confident with deploying traditional forms of summative assessment, while they were more uncertain about process evaluation and oral skills. Regarding significant differences in the participants’ perceptions of competence among the three universities, Finnish university students reported higher levels in all variables. However, room for improvement was found at all universities involved.

scholarly journals Talking About Sustainability in Teacher Preparation in Finland and the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-87
Author(s):  
Susan Wiksten
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Specific Culture ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Scientific Phenomena

This article reports on empirical research findings from a case study of teacher education in Finland and the United States. A sociological perspective was deployed for investigating how the concept of sustainability was addressed in two teacher education programs. One of the programs was located in Finland and the other in the US. The study was carried out in 2015 and 2016. Seventeen semi-structured, open-ended, audio-recorded interviews form the core of the research materials. A thematic analysis of interviews was conducted for identifying articulations related to sustainability in subject-matter specialized teacher preparation. Findings from this study contribute to research on teacher preparation. Notably, by articulating how context-specific culture and social norms contribute to local models of teacher education. Findings from this study indicate that teacher training practices in Finland have encouraged students to articulate sustainability in relation to critical thinking, whereas in the US, sustainability has been articulated in relation to social justice. The key point supported by the evidence is that sustainability was by teachers and teacher educators conceptualized as being about the popularization of knowledge about ecology and biodiversity. The kind of communication that was by teachers and teacher educators described as effective for popularizing knowledge about scientific phenomena were forms of teaching that expanded on content-specific knowledge by connecting it to ethical and civic frameworks of the societies in which students live.

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.

scholarly journals Language Assessment Literacy: Implications for Language Teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Specific Language

Recently, the applied linguistics field has examined the knowledge, skills, and principles needed for assessment, defined as language assessment literacy. Two major issues in language assessment literacy have been addressed but not fully resolved—what exactly language assessment literacy is and how it differs among stakeholders (e.g., students and teachers). This reflective article reviews assessment literacy from general education experts and language education scholars and shows how the meaning of language assessment literacy has expanded. To add to the discussion of this construct, the article focuses on the specific language assessment literacy for language teachers and proposes a core list of assessment knowledge, skills, and principles for these stakeholders.

scholarly journals Learning progressions as models and tools for supporting classroom assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Alonzo
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Classroom Assessment ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Learning Progressions ◽  
Complex Phenomena ◽  
Teacher Classroom

Like all models, learning progressions (LPs) provide simplified representations of complex phenomena. One key simplification is the characterisation of student thinking in terms of levels. This characterisation is both essential for large-scale applications, such as informing standards, but potentially problematic for smaller-scale applications. In this paper, I describe a program of research designed to explore the smaller-scale use of LPs as supports for teacher classroom assessment practices in light of this simplification. Based on this research, I conclude that LP levels may serve as a generative heuristic, particularly when teachers are engaged with evidence of the limitations of LP levels and supported to use LPs in ways that do not rely on their levels.

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.

Critical language assessment literacy of EFL teachers: Scale construction and validation

2022 ◽  
pp. 026553222110570
Author(s):  
Zia Tajeddin ◽  
Mohammad Khatib ◽  
Mohsen Mahdavi
Keyword(s):  
Construct Validity ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Assessment Policies ◽  
High Level

Critical language assessment (CLA) has been addressed in numerous studies. However, the majority of the studies have overlooked the need for a practical framework to measure the CLA dimension of teachers’ language assessment literacy (LAL). This gap prompted us to develop and validate a critical language assessment literacy (CLAL) scale to further underscore the role of CLA principles and their practice as an essential part of teachers’ LAL. In the first phase, a pool of items was generated through a comprehensive review of the related studies. In the quantitative phase, the developed scale was administered to 255 English as a foreign language teachers selected through convenience and snowball sampling. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis for construct validity and Cronbach’s alpha for estimating internal consistency. The results showed that the items loaded on five factors: (a) teachers’ knowledge of assessment objectives, scopes, and types; (b) assessment use consequences; (c) fairness; (d) assessment policies; and (e) national policy and ideology. It was found that the scale had a high level of internal consistency and construct validity, which suggests that this scale has the potential to be useful in assessing language teachers’ CLAL and to raise language teachers’ awareness of CLAL constructs.

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