Language Assessment Courses: An Investigation of the Course Instructors’ Pedagogical and Assessment Practices

Abstract

Upon recognizing the significance of assessment literacy as a necessity for modern professional teachers, the quality of assessment courses has been examined from different angles. The present research aimed to examine the nature and functionality of assessment training at Iranian state universities in fostering the development of language assessment literacy (LAL), with a specific focus on the course instructors’ pedagogical practices (in terms of instructional materials/content and pedagogical practices) and assessment practices (including both formative and summative assessment). One hundred three course instructors were surveyed through a set of open-ended questions, and two course instructors’ pedagogical and assessment practices were observed throughout an educational semester. Based on the content and descriptive statistical analysis of the data, a lack of divergence in the instructors’ teaching and assessment practices was observable, with the majority of the instructors adhering to traditional methods, showing no inclination to adopt innovative practices. Lack of a balanced focus on all the core elements of LAL, being theory-laden and disconnected from practice in assessment, and use of dated teaching materials were recognized as factors or inappropriate practices on the part of the course instructors that might hinder the development of LAL in the researched context. Furthermore, a set of key action which might be taken by the course instructors to reduce the obstacles in developing and maintaining LAL has been suggested. Finally, limitations of the study and suggestions for future studies on LAL have been mentioned.