LCTL Teachers’ Assessment Knowledge and Practices: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Language assessment allows teachers to gather information about student learning and adjust their instructional practices accordingly. When integrated with instruction, assessment can support student-centered teaching by helping instructors understand what students have learned or are able to do and what they still need to know (Shepard, 2000). However, language teachers often receive limited pre-service training in assessment and testing (Malone, 2008). To date, limited empirical work has been conducted about LCTL teacher education and language assessment literacy. This paper explores a teacher training program designed to address the assessment needs of LCTL educators. This program provides a model of evidence-based assessment training that may be useful to other teacher educators. Furthermore, data generated from the project contributes to research about LCTL teacher education and assessment literacy and suggests future directions for work in this area.

Keywords

• Teachers
• Assessment
• Knowledge
• Practices
• Exploratory
• training
• empirical