Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy: A Case Study at a High School in Halong City, Vietnam

Abstract

This study sets out to explore high school teachers’ perceptions of language assessment literacy (LAL) and their training needs on language assessment. In Vietnam, several issues concerning teachers’ assessment practices have been identified, namely exam-oriented teaching, lack of expertise in test design, insufficient academic knowledge and professional training in language assessment (Hoang, 2017; Vu, 2017). The present study built on Davies’s (2008) definition of LAL which includes knowledge, skills and principles and Giraldo’s (2018) eight dimensions of LAL. The data was collected via a qualitative approach as five English teachers from a high school in Halong were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. The results revealed that teachers’ knowledge of approaches, theories and concepts relevant to language assessment were insufficient and inaccurate. In terms of skills, several major findings indicated an emphasis on traditional testing over alternative methods; prioritization of selected response; tendencies to design tests based on former experiences, personal instincts and colleagues’ advice; and increased use of technology-based assessments. Regarding principles, fairness, transparency and ethics were perceived as indispensable in teachers’ assessments. Additionally, teachers reported receiving insufficient and heavily theoretical training on language assessment in pre-service and in-service education. Several areas of training were proposed within the scope of this research, including giving feedback, preparing classroom tests and interpreting results (classroom-focused language testing and assessment), giving grades and finding out what needs to be taught (purposes of testing), integrated skills and aspects of culture (content and concept of language testing and assessment). Further studies should investigate teachers’ actual assessment practices and language assessment training needs in teacher education programs.