Language Assessment Literacy Development of a Novice University English Teacher in the Chinese Context

Abstract

To date, most studies on language assessment literacy (LAL) have focused on how to improve language teachers’ LAL through external inputs (e.g. assessment training, courses), but much remains unknown with regard to how individual teachers develop their LAL over time in their teaching contexts. To fill this void, the current study explored the lived experience of a novice university English teacher's LAL development over an extended period in the Chinese context. It was found that the teacher witnessed her LAL development throughout one academic year. Specifically, she developed more conceptual knowledge of language assessment, became more aware of the importance of learning in relation to assessment, accessed more assessment skills and became more student centred in assessment practices. This improvement, following an individualised developmental trajectory in a bottom-up way, was mediated by contextual (e.g. institutional support), experiential (e.g. assessment training or learning) and personal (e.g. agency and reflection) factors, in all of which the teacher's self-agency contributed substantially to her LAL development. Based on the findings, implications for university English teachers’ professional development in language assessment have been provided.