Unlocking writing success: Building assessment literacy for students and teachers through effective interventions

Abstract

As a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning outcomes, assessment literacy (AL) is imperative for both writing teachers and students. Although previous research has stressed the importance of AL in effective writing instruction, few studies have designed or explored interventions that can improve teachers' and students' AL. These interventions play a crucial role in equipping writing teachers with the necessary skills to effectively comprehend, apply, interpret, and critique assessments. Likewise, AL interventions are essential for writing students, as they enhance their knowledge, attitudes, actions, and critique of assessments, enabling them to understand assessment purposes, utilize feedback constructively, and critically evaluate assessment practices. In order to address this gap in the literature, the researchers employed a mixed-method approach, which included pre- and post-tests, as well as semistructured interviews, to design and investigate effective interventions for enhancing AL. For the purpose of this study, we incorporated a four-dimensional conceptual framework for teachers' intervention and a four-phase AL framework for students' intervention as the basis for our investigation. According to the study findings, there were significant disparities between students' writing skills and their writing abilities while also substantial improvements in teachers' writing abilities following intervention. A positive perception of the intervention was also reported by both students and teachers. Thus, these interventions were able to assist students in better understanding assessment criteria and help teachers provide feedback in an effective manner. By implementing effective interventions, students, as well as teachers, will be equipped with the necessary tools to support writing instruction and ultimately achieve higher levels of achievement.