:: Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2016) ::
2016, 19(2): 115-154 Back to browse issues page
A Mixed-methods, Cross-sectional Study of Assessment Literacy of Iranian University Instructors: Implications for Teachers' Professional Development
Rajab Esfandiari , Razieh Nouri
Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin
Abstract:   (4748 Views)
Professionalism requires that language teachers be assessment literate so as to assess students’ performance more effectively. However, assessment literacy (AL) has remained a relatively unexplored area. Given the centrality of AL in educational settings, in the present study, we identified the factors constituting AL among university instructors and examined the ways English Language Instructors (ELIs) and Content Instructors (CIs) differed on AL. A researcher-made, 50-item questionnaire was constructed and administered to both groups: ELIs (N = 155) and CIs (N = 155). A follow-up interview was conducted to validate the findings. IBM SPSS (version 21) was used to analyse the data quantitatively. Results of exploratory factor analysis showed that AL included three factors: theoretical dimension of testing, test construction and analysis, and statistical knowledge. Further, results revealed statistically significant differences between ELIs and CIs in AL. Qualitative results showed that the differences were primarily related to the amount of training in assessment, methods of evaluation, purpose of assessment, and familiarity with psychometric properties of tests. Building on these findings, we discuss implications for teachers’ professional development.
Keywords: Assessment literacy, Content instructors, English language instructors, Professionalism
Full-Text [PDF 595 kb]   (1931 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2016/03/23 | Accepted: 2016/07/25 | Published: 2016/09/21
References
1. Ainsworth, L., & Viegut, D. (2006). Common formative assessment: How to connect standards-based instruction and assessment. UK: Sage Publication Ltd.
2. Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3. Boyles, P. (2005). Assessment literacy. In M. Rosenbusch (Ed.), National assessment summit papers (pp. 11-15). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
4. Braney, B. T. (2010). An examination of fourth grade teachers' assessment literacy and its relationship to students reading achievement (Doctoral Dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3434570)
5. Brindley, G. (2001). Language assessment and professional development. In C. Elder, A. Brown, K. Hill, N. Iwashita, T. Lumley, T. McNamara, & K. O'Loughlin (Eds.), Experimenting with uncertainty: Essays in honor of Alan Davies (pp. 126–136). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6. Carless, D. (2015). Excellence in university assessment. London: Routledge.
7. Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory (2nd ed.). London: Sage Publications.
8. Cresswell, J. D., & Plano Klark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed method research (2nd ed.). California: Sage Publications.
9. Davies, A. (2008). Textbook trends in teaching language testing. Language Testing, 25(3), 327–348. [DOI:10.1177/0265532208090156]
10. Deeley, S. J., & Bovill, C. (2015). Staff student partnership in assessment: Enhancing assessment literacy through democratic practices. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education.
11. DeLuca, C., & Klinger, D. A. (2010). Assessment literacy development: Identifying gaps in teacher candidates' learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 17(4), 419–438. [DOI:10.1080/0969594X.2010.516643]
12. Farhady, H., Jafarpur, A., & Birjandi, P. (1994). Testing Language skills: From theory to practice. Tehran: SAMT.
13. Flynn, C. P., & Kunkel, S. R. (1987). Deprivation, compensation, and conceptions of an afterlife. Sociological Analysis, 48(1), 58-72. [DOI:10.2307/3711683]
14. Fulcher, G. (2012). Assessment literacy for the language classroom. Language Assessment Quarterly, 9(2), 113–132. [DOI:10.1080/15434303.2011.642041]
15. Fulcher, G., & Davidson, F. (2007). Language testing and assessment: An advanced resource book. New York: Routledge. [DOI:10.4324/9780203449066]
16. Harding, L., & Kremmel, B. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy and professional development. In Tsagari, D. and Banerjee, J. (eds) Handbook of Second Language Assessment (pp. 413-429). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. [DOI:10.1515/9781614513827-027]
17. Hughes, A. (2003). Testing for language teachers (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
18. Hutcheson, G. D., & Sofroniou, N. (1999). The multivariate social scientist. London: Sage Publications Ltd. [DOI:10.4135/9780857028075]
19. Inbar-Lourie, O. (2008). Constructing a language assessment knowledge base: A focus on language assessment courses. Language Testing, 25(3), 385-402. [DOI:10.1177/0265532208090158]
20. Kaiser, F. H. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31-36. [DOI:10.1007/BF02291575]
21. Koh, K. H. (2011). Improving teachers' assessment literacy through professional development. Teaching Education, 22(3), 255-276. [DOI:10.1080/10476210.2011.593164]
22. Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. [DOI:10.1037/10518-189]
23. Kumaravadivelu, B. (2006). Understanding language teaching: From method to post-method. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
24. Mackey, A., & Gass, S. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.
25. Medland, E. (2015). Examining the assessment literacy of external examiners. London Review of Education, 13(3), 21-33. [DOI:10.18546/LRE.13.3.04]
26. Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. L. Linn (Ed.), Educational measurement (3rd ed.) (pp. 13-103). Washington, DC: American council on Education.
27. Newfields, T. (2006). Teacher development and assessment literacy. Retrieved from http://jalt.org/pansig/2006/PDF/Newfields.pdf
28. Ogan-Bekiroglu, F., & Suzuk, E. (2014). Pre-service teachers' assessment literacy and its implementation into practice. The Curriculum Journal, 25(3), 344-341. [DOI:10.1080/09585176.2014.899916]
29. Pill, J., & Harding, L. (2013). Defining the language assessment literacy gap: Evidence from a parliamentary inquiry. Language Testing, 30(8), 381-402. [DOI:10.1177/0265532213480337]
30. Plake, B. S., Impara, J. C., & Fager, J. J. (1993). Assessment competencies of teachers: A national survey. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 12(4), 10-12. [DOI:10.1111/j.1745-3992.1993.tb00548.x]
31. Popham, W. J. (2004). Why assessment illiteracy is professional suicide. Educational Leadership, 62(1), 82–83.
32. Popham, W. J. (2006). Needed: A dose of assessment literacy. Educational Leadership, 63(3), 84-85.
33. Popham, W. J. (2009). Assessment literacy for teachers: Faddish or fundamental? Theory into Practice, 48(1), 4-11. [DOI:10.1080/00405840802577536]
34. Popham, W. J. (2011). Assessment literacy overlooked: A teacher education's confession. The Teacher Educator, 46(4), 265-273. [DOI:10.1080/08878730.2011.605048]
35. Quilter, S. M., & Gallini, J. K. (2000). Teachers' assessment literacy and attitudes. The Teacher Educator, 36(2), 115-131. [DOI:10.1080/08878730009555257]
36. Saif, A. A. (2009). Educational measurement, assessment, and evaluation (5th ed.). Tehran: Dowran Publication.
37. Sainsbury, E. J., & Walker, R. A. (2008). Assessment as a vehicle for learning: Extending collaboration into testing. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(2), 103–117. [DOI:10.1080/02602930601127844]
38. Saldana, T. (2012). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (2nd ed.). London: Sage Publications.
39. Scarino, A. (2013). Language assessment literacy as self-awareness: Understanding the role of interpretation in assessment and in teacher learning. Language Testing, 30(3), 309-327. [DOI:10.1177/0265532213480128]
40. Shohamy, E. (2008). Introduction to volume 7: Language testing and assessment. In N. Hornberger (Ed.), Encyclopedia of language and education (2nd ed.) (pp. xiii-xxii). New York: Springer Science and Business Media, Inc.
41. Smith, C. D., Worsfold, K., Davies, L., Fisher, R., & McPhail, R. (2011). Assessment literacy and student learning: The case for explicitly developing students' assessment literacy. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(1), 44-60. [DOI:10.1080/02602938.2011.598636]
42. Stiggins, R. J. (1991). Assessment literacy. Phi Delta Kappan, 72(3), 534–539.
43. Stiggins, R. J. (2014). Improve assessment literacy outside of schools too. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(2), 67-72. [DOI:10.1177/0031721714553413]
44. Taras, M. (2002). Using assessment for learning and learning from assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(6), 501–510. [DOI:10.1080/0260293022000020273]
45. Taylor, L. (2013). Communicating the theory, practice, and principles of language testing to test stakeholders: Some reflections. Language Testing, 30(3), 403-412. [DOI:10.1177/0265532213480338]
46. Tierney, R. D. (2006). Changing practices: Influences on classroom assessment. Assessment in Education, 13(3), 239-264. [DOI:10.1080/09695940601035387]
47. Vogt, K., & Tsagari, D. (2014). Assessment literacy of foreign language teachers: Findings of a European study. Language Assessment Quarterly, 11(4), 374-402. [DOI:10.1080/15434303.2014.960046]
48. Volante, L., & Fazio, X. (2007). Exploring teacher candidates' assessment literacy: Implications for teacher education reform and professional development. Canadian Journal of Education, 30(3), 749-770. [DOI:10.2307/20466661]
49. Webb, N. L. (2002). Assessment literacy in a standard-based urban education setting. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, Neworleans, LA.
50. William, D. (2015). Foreword: Assessment literacy. London Review of Education, 13(3), 3-4. [DOI:10.18546/LRE.13.3.02]



XML     Print



Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2016) Back to browse issues page