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

Abstract

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.

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

“…However, the presence of teachers from different languages suggests that training in this area is necessary regardless of the language taught (for example, Montee et al, 2013 andKoh et al, 2018). Also, there is an emphasis on in-service language teachers, but studies with preservice teachers are starting to appear, with Giraldo and Murcia (2019), Jaramillo-Delgado and Gil-Bedoya (2019) and Restrepo-Bolívar (2020) being examples of this trend. This is positive, given that authors have emphasized the burning need for preservice teacher training in language testing and assessment (Hill, 2017;Lam, 2015;López-Mendoza & Bernal-Arandia, 2009;Vogt & Tsagari, 2014).…”

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

“…These authors in fact highlight these principles as major findings in their study. Interestingly, the findings in Giraldo and Murcia (2019) do not refer to ethics and fairness, even though these were central contents in their lal program. Thus, it remains unclear whether students in Giraldo and Murcia became aware of these issues in language assessment.…”

“…As explained earlier, scholars have urged teacher educators to have a contextual, needs-based approach to professional development programs. Arias et al (2012) and Giraldo and Murcia (2019) completed studies that directly align with this principle. In Walters (2010), the study was based on teachers' context but there is no explicit reference to their needs or institutional context in his research.…”

“…Several commonalities may be discerned in the studies below. Except for Giraldo and Murcia (2019), the professional development initiatives did not last long periods of time but a week (for example, Baker & Riches, 2017) or three weeks (Kremmel et al, 2018), or even a few hours (Boyd & Donnarumma, 2018). The reason for this can be traced to a second commonality: All studies, except Giraldo and Murcia, involved in-service teachers who were not taking official courses and naturally were doing their in-service work.…”

“…Taken together, the sources of lal are used for training teachers, mostly in knowledge and skills and with some emerging attention to principles. Thus, training programs lead to professional development as teachers reflect on and raise awareness of what language assessment means (Giraldo & Murcia, 2019;Nier et al, 2009), how language assessment impacts or relates to learning (Arias et al, 2012;Baker & Riches, 2017;Boyd & Donnarumma, 2018;Kremmel et al, 2018;Walters, 2010), and what positive changes can occur through enhanced lal (Arias et al, 2012).…”