Enhancing Language Assessment Skills among Faculty Members in Saudi EFL Context

Мұқаба

Дәйексөз келтіру

Толық мәтін

Аннотация

In Saudi higher education, assessment has shifted to incorporate intended learning outcomes rather than merely textbook content. Subsequently, faculty members unwillingly participate in high-stakes competitive and harmonized assessment in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses during the preparatory year (PY). These challenges emphasize the importance of need-based training for faculty members. Accordingly, this context-specific study scrutinized faculty members’ needs as well as the impact of a training program on engaging the participants and on fostering language assessment skills (LASs) among them. In so doing, an action research design used pre- and post-questionnaires and included a training portfolio to collect data from 31 faculty members. The study first identified those needs as instructional skills, design skills, and educational measurement skills. In the context of professional development, the researchers designed a training program based on those reported needs. During training, the participants expressed their satisfaction with the language assessment. After the training, the participants greatly improved their LASs. The paired tests indicated that the faculty members increased their instructional skills, design skills, and skills of educational measurement. Further research is recommended for enhancing LASs among EFL students.

Авторлар туралы

Mohammed Nazim

Najran University

Email: nazimspeaking@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1802-6412

Abduljalil Hazaea

Najran University

Email: agaleel@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1950-2153

Әдебиет тізімі

  1. Baranovskaya, T., & Shaforostova, V. (2017). Assessment and evaluation techniques. Journal of Language and Education, 3(2), 30-38. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17323/2411-7390-2017-3-2-30-38
  2. Binet, A., Gavin, V., Carroll, L., & Arcaya, M. (2019). Designing and facilitating collaborative research design and data analysis workshops: Lessons learned in the healthy neighborhoods study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(3), 324-339. DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030324
  3. Bolshakova, E. (2015). Olympiad in the English language as a form of alternative language assessment. Journal of Language and Education, 1(2), 6-12. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17323/2411-7390-2015-1-2-6-12
  4. Boyd, E., & Donnarumma, D. (2018). Assessment literacy for teachers: A pilot study investigating the challenges, benefits and impact of assessment literacy training. In D. Xerri & P. V. Briffa (Eds.), Teacher involvement inhigh-stakes language testing (pp. 105-126). Springer International Publishing. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77177-9_7
  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 honour of Alan Davies (pp. 137-143). Cambridge University Press.
  6. Chen, D. & Zhang, L. (2017). Formative assessment of academic English writing for Chinese EFL learners. TESOL International Journal, 12(2), 47-64.
  7. Crusan, D., Plakans, L., & Gebril, A. (2016). Writing assessment literacy: Surveying second language teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and practices. Assessing Writing, 28, 43-56. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2016.03.001
  8. Davies, A. (2008). Textbook trends in teaching language testing. Language Testing, 25(3), 327-347. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532208090156
  9. Djoub, Z. (2017). Assessment literacy: Beyond teacher practice. In R. Al-Mahrooqi, C. Coombe, F. Al-Maamari & V. Thakur (Eds.), Revisiting EFL assessment: Second language learning and teaching (pp. 9-27). Springer. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32601-6_2
  10. Fulcher, G. (2012). Assessment literacy for the language classroom. Language Assessment Quarterly, 9(2), 113-132. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2011.642041
  11. Galichkina, E. (2016). Developing teacher-trainees' assessment awareness in the EFL classroom through project-based learning activity. Journal of Language and Education, 2(3), 61-70. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17323/2411-7390-2016-2-3-61-70
  12. Gebril, A., & Boraie, D. (2016). Assessment literacy training for English language educators in Egypt. In V. Aryadoust & J. Fox (Eds.), Trends in language assessment research and practice: The view from the Middle East and the Pacific Rim (pp. 416-437). Combridge scholars publishing.
  13. Giraldo, F. (2018). Language assessment literacy: Implications for language teachers. Profile Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, 20(1), 179-195. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v20n1.62089
  14. Hakim, B. (2015). English language teachers' ideology of ELT assessment literacy. International Journal of Education & Literacy Studies, 3(4), 42-48. DOI:https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.3n.4p.42
  15. Hatipoğlu, Ç. (2015). English language testing and evaluation (ELTE) training in Turkey: Expectations and needs of pre-service English language teachers. ELT Research Journal, 4(2), 111-128.
  16. Hazaea, A. (2019). The needs on professional development of English language faculty members at Saudi University. International Journal of Educational Researchers, 10(1), 1-14.
  17. Hazaea, A. N., & Tayeb, Y. A. (2018). Washback effect of LOBELA on EFL teaching at preparatory year of Najran University. International Journal of Educational Investigations, 5(3),1-14.
  18. Herrera M., L., Macías, V., & Fernando, D. (2015). A call for language assessment literacy in the education and development of teachers of English as a foreign language. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 17(2), 302-312. DOI:https://doi.org/10.14483/udistrital.jour.calj.2015.2.a09
  19. Hill, K., & McNamara, T. (2012). Developing a comprehensive, empirically based research framework for classroom-based assessment. Language testing, 29(3), 395-420. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532211428317
  20. Inbar-Lourie, O. (2008). Constructing a language assessment knowledge base: A focus on language assessment courses. Language Testing, 25(3), 385-402. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532208090158
  21. Inbar-Lourie, O. (2012). Language assessment literacy. In C. Chapelle (Ed.), The encyclopedia of applied linguistics (pp. 1-9). John Wiley & Sons. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0605
  22. Khan, B., & Begum, S. (2012). Portfolio: A professional development and learning tool for teachers. International Journal of Social Science and Education, 2(2), 363-377.
  23. Lam, R. (2015). Language assessment training in Hong Kong: Implications for language assessment literacy. Language Testing, 32(2), 169-197. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532214554321
  24. Lan, C., & Fan, S. (2019). Developing classroom-based language assessment literacy for in-service EFL teachers: The gaps. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 61, 112-122 1. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2019.1003.1003
  25. Language Assessment Literacy Symposium. (2016). Enhancing language assessment literacy: Sharing, broadening, innovating. Language Assessment Literacy. URLhttp://wp.lancs.ac.uk/ltrg/files/2015/12/Language-Assessment-Literacy-Symposium-2016-full-programme.pdf.
  26. Llarenas, A.T. (2019). Vignettes of experiences in portfolio assessment. Asian EFL Journal, 21(2), 196-223.
  27. Malone, M. E. (2017). Training in language assessment. In E. Shohamy, L. G. & S. May (Eds.), Language Testing and Assessment, Encyclopedia of Language and Education (vol. 3, pp. 225-239). Springer. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30424-3_178
  28. Mansory, M. (2016). EFL teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards English language assessment in a Saudi university's English language institute [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Exeter. URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/10871/25765.
  29. Ørngreen, R., & Levinsen, K. (2017). Workshops as a research methodology. Electronic Journal of E-learning, 15(1), 70-81.
  30. Öz, S., & Atay, D. (2017). Turkish EFL instructors' in-class language assessment literacy: Perceptions and practices. ELT Research Journal, 6(1), 25-44.
  31. Pill, J., & Harding, L. (2013). Defining the language assessment literacy gap: Evidence from a parliamentary inquiry. Language Testing, 30(3), 381-402. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532213480337
  32. Rea-Dickins, P. (2001). Mirror, mirror on the wall: Identifying processes of classroom assessment. Language Testing, 18(4), 429-462. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/026553220101800407
  33. Rodomanchenko, A. (2017). Roundtable discussion in language teaching: Assessing subject knowledge and language skills. Journal of Language and Education, 3(4), 44-51. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17323/2411-7390-2017-3-4-44-51
  34. Stabler-Havener, M. L. (2018). Defining, conceptualizing, problematizing, and assessing language teacher assessment literacy. Working Papers in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, 18(1), 1-22.
  35. Stognieva, O. (2015). Implementingp peer assessment in a Russian university ESP classroom. Journal of Language and Education, 1(4), 63-73. DOI:https://doi.org/10.17323/2411-7390-2015-1-4-63-73
  36. Sultana, N. (2019). Language assessment literacy: an uncharted area for the English language teachers in Bangladesh. Language Testing in Asia, 9(1), 1-14. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-019-0077-8
  37. Taylor, L. (2009). Developing assessment literacy. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 29, 21-36. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190509090035
  38. Taylor, L. (2013). Communicating the theory, practice and principles of language testing to test stakeholders: Some reflections. Language Testing, 30(3), 403-412. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532213480338
  39. Umer, M., Zakaria, M. H., & Alshara, M. A. (2018). Investigating Saudi University EFL teachers' assessment literacy: Theory and practice. International Journal of English Linguistics, 8(3), 345-356. DOI:https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v8n3p345
  40. Vogt, K., & Tsagari, D. (2014). Assessment literacy of foreign language teachers: Findings of a European study. Language Assessment Quarterly, 11(4), 374-402. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2014.960046
  41. Walters, F. S. (2010). Cultivating assessment literacy: Standards evaluation through language-test specification reverse engineering. Language Assessment Quarterly, 7(4), 317-342. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2010.516042
  42. Xie, Q., & Lei, Y. (2019) formative assessment in primary English writing classes: A case study from Hong Kong. Asian EFL Journal, 23(5), 55-95.

Қосымша файлдар

Қосымша файлдар
Әрекет
1. JATS XML


Creative Commons License
Бұл мақала лицензия бойынша қолжетімді Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.