Evaluating Teachers’ Assessment Literacy in Enacting Cefr-Aligned Classroom-Based Assessment in Malaysian Secondary Schools ESL Classroom

Abstract

This past five years has seen a drastic reform in the Malaysian education system. The reform prompts significant changes in teaching and learning and the assessment system. The emphasis on high-stakes examinations were revised and a new assessment system is introduced. In 2021, many high-stake examinations like Uijan Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) were abolished due to the reason of being ineffective tools to measure students' learning capability. Since the abolishment, the government paved the way by introducing a more progressive and continuous assessment system known as Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) which gives full autonomy to teachers to assess students by introducing formative assessments. In the context of English Language Education, the CBA is aligned with CEFR. CEFR breathes new ways for teachers to assess students' language progression across a standard international descriptor. This change has resorted in a huge transformation in the teachers' role as CEFR-aligned CBA demands teachers to plan, design, implement, and report the new assessment system in their teaching practices. Hence, a mixed-method study was conducted to explore the teacher's assessment literacy in implementing CEFR-aligned CBA at the micro level. The findings of this study reported that teachers posit a low assessment literacy level which has influenced their practices to enact the new assessment system. Several challenges like the time constraint, lack of training, teachers' unfamiliarity, and tedious process of CBA raised the concern for the government to reduce these deficiencies in enacting the change in education.

Malaysian ESL Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy Issues in Implementing CEFR-Aligned Classroom-Based Assessment: How to Deal with Them?

“…The reform in the assessment system has also led to changes in the practice of ESL teachers' teaching and learning process in classroom (Marzaini et al, 2023). These changes demand ESL teachers to be fully language assessment literate in order to be able to accomplish the aim of implementing CBA-aligned with CEFR effectively.…”

“…These changes demand ESL teachers to be fully language assessment literate in order to be able to accomplish the aim of implementing CBA-aligned with CEFR effectively. Ironically, Marzaini et al (2023) claimed that Malaysian ESL teachers have a low level of LAL to implement CEFR-aligned CBA in their classroom practices. The studies of Arumugham (2020); Suppian et al ( 2020) and Yusoff and Lee (2021) revealed that CBA is often implemented not in line with the objectives set.…”

“…• Time Constraints Most Malaysian ESL teachers claimed that CEFR-aligned CBA implementation takes a lot of their time to plan and design assessment instruments, report students' progress as well as to record assessment evidence (Marzaini et al, 2023). ESL teachers need to design assessment instruments that suit the needs and skill levels of different students.…”

“…Malaysian ESL teachers claimed that they have not received adequate training in implementing CEFR-aligned CBA as desired by the MoE (Marzaini et al, 2023). Due to lack of training, ESL teachers get confused and make mistakes in the implementation of the assessment.…”

“…Published Online: 17 April 2024 the Primary School Achievement Test or so-called Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Form 3 Assessment or so called Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) were abolished (Rethinasamy et al, 2021) due to the ineffectiveness of both to measure students ' learning ability (Marzaini et al, 2023). Since the abolition, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has introduced Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA) as a step towards a more progressive and continuous assessment system (MoE, 2019).…”