Language Assessment Literacy and Assessment Practices of English as Second Language In-Service Teachers

Abstract

One crucial aspect of the teaching and learning process that teachers need to master is the use of appropriate assessment tools to ensure that the learning objectives and core competencies are acquired by the learners. Central to attaining this mastery is their language assessment literacy (LAL), which is necessary for designing, evaluating, and understanding language assessments. With the importance of this in the instructional process, this study investigated the LAL and assessment practices of the 60 ESL in-service teachers in the five big and mega high schools in Isabela. It employed the descriptive design with a triangulation method, and the data were collected through validated questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and observation in the assessment part of the respondents’ instructional process. Results revealed that the ESL in-service teachers are highly proficient in their LAL among the domains of knowledge, skills, and principles, attributing to their built foundational knowledge in assessment during their years of studying. Furthermore, the respondents are also often employing diverse assessment practices, which include the use of traditional and alternative assessments, assessment standards and criteria, student-involved assessment, non-achievement-based grading, and developing digital assessments, since they see the crucial role that assessment plays in both the teaching and learning process. It is notable as well in this part that, though the assessment practices in general were often employed by the respondents, the domain of communicating assessment is always employed. This is due to the importance of communicating assessments in guiding the students to perform properly in their tasks, and for them to monitor their progress in learning. The results recommend a capacity development program to continuously enhance the proficiency of the respondents in the LAL and to improve their frequency of employing various assessment practices.