An ecological approach to understanding university English teachers’ professional agency in implementing formative assessment

Abstract

As a sub-realm of Language Teacher Psychology (LTP), teachers’ professional agency has gained significant attention from educational practitioners and teachers. The aim is to better discern teachers’ professional development and teaching effectiveness with a view to ensuring the quality of language teaching. International literature concerning teachers’ professional agency has noted a shift from knowledge training to vocational development in relation to teachers’ experience in decision making. Yet, little research so far has scrutinized this specific issue in Chinese university settings, and the real picture of teacher agency needs further exploration. Besides, the multidimensional and complex nature of agency identifies the overwhelming research work in understanding its contents in detail based on the previous perspectives from individuals, society, and time. To this end, the ecological understanding of professional agency reframed the theoretical basis of this study, prone to explore how teachers’ experience could be examined in relation to individual capacity, resources, and structural and contextual variables. The study was conducted in Chinese university settings in response to the research gap related to understanding professional agency. Quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations with 116 university teachers in China demonstrated that the enactment of professional agency rested on the interplay between temporal contexts, teacher capacity, and beliefs, especially in the instructional community. The findings revealed that university teachers at different stages of career development manifested variability in exercising their professional agency in relation to adapting or adopting existing teaching concepts, methods, or approaches. Mounting evidence revealed some enablers and constraints in relation to formative assessment, time impact, classroom interaction, and school culture. Emphasizing the interaction between individuals’ ability and their engagement with the professional environment, the findings provide insights into theoretical implications associated with ecological theory and enhance the practical discussion about promoting professional development for novice, mid-career, and veteran English teachers at the university level.

Unveiling the impact of language assessment teacher education on EFL teachers’ assessment agency and professional development trajectory: perceptions, opportunities, and challenges

“…The study by Jiang et al (2022) also found that teachers recognized the value of formative assessment activities in developing student learning and enhancing their own teaching capacity, which underscored the importance of promoting and facilitating professional agency for sustainability in the teaching context. Figure 2 highlights the interrelated dimensions that enabled teachers to exercise their professional agency in the formative assessment process (Jiang et al, 2022).…”

“…The study highlighted the importance of teachers analyzing their experiences from a Fig. 2 A framework of teachers' professional agency in formative assessment implementation (Jiang et al, 2022) critical perspective, their awareness of present opportunities, and future aspirations in enacting teacher agency in assessment. However, teachers faced challenges in negotiating their agency within the existing environmental conditions, leading to struggles and the need for ecological transformation.…”

Crafting a TOPSIS-Based Formative Assessment Solution for Financial Management Course Among Non-Accounting Undergraduates

“…Essentially, formative assessment evaluates students' daily learning processes, achievements, and the dynamic aspects of their emotions, attitudes, and strategies. It revolves around a comprehensive assessment of the entire student learning journey through continuous observation, recording, and reflection, with the primary goal of inspiring active student engagement, effective self-regulation, and the development of a sense of accomplishment, selfconfidence, and a collaborative spirit [10].…”