The Teacher’s Role in Classroom-based Language Assessment

Different from large-scale language tests aiming to measure general proficiency and often administered in specific highly-controlled test settings, classroom-based language assessment is embedded in the teaching and learning cycle of a classroom and has multiple “identities” (Rea-Dickins, 2001, p. 451) due to its wide range of uses or purposes. Classroom-based language assessment is an integral part of language instruction where the teachers, as “agents” (Rea-Dickins, 2004), are the ones responsible for facilitating student learning and obtaining information about their progress and achievement, hence, also earning the name teacher assessment. From planning what to assess and how, through implementing assessment procedures and monitoring students’ performances to recording students’ attainment and progress, the teacher is constantly making decisions on how to keep track of students’ progress and attainment (Rea-Dickins, 2001). Either accomplished through a formal assessment procedure or through informal daily monitoring and observation, the teacher’s knowledge of the students guides him/her to make subsequent pedagogical decisions and push learning further

What Parents Know and Believe About Large-Scale Assessments

Most provinces and states that require students to take large-scale assessments provide information about the tests for parents; however, parents vary in their uses of this information. In this study, parents in an urban Ontario elementary school were surveyed about where they obtained information about the Ontario assessments, what they knew about the assessments, and what they believed about the assessments. Most of the parents were knowledgeable about the assessments and held positive opinions. In general, the more sources of information they used, the more knowledgeable they were, and the more knowledgeable they were, the more positive were their opinions about the assessments.

A review of teachers’ assessment literacy proficiency measures

At present, there are several literature reviews on teachers’ assessment literacy (AL). However, little attention has been paid to a systematic analysis of AL measures. The review on AL measures helps to evaluate the available tools and provide recommendations for developing AL measures in further exploration. Hence, the purpose of the current literature review is to focus on analyzing the measures of teachers’ AL proficiency from 1991 to 2020. Across the contexts, 28 quantitative tools made up of questionnaires or tests were collected. Among them, 10 were designed to investigate overall AL proficiency and 18 were constructed to examine the sub-categories of AL proficiency among teachers. Each instrument was analyzed from the format, guiding framework, item characteristics, targeting population, and psychometric quality. Results showed that the current AL measures were derived more from instrumental than social-cultural conceptualization, examined more on sub-categories than the overall proficiency level, targeted more at in-service teachers than pre-service teachers, and focused more on elementary and middle education than pre- or higher education. Further studies are welcomed from four aspects: construct social-culturally, test generalizability, target at specific groups, and cover various types of AL

Fundamental Assessment Principles for Teachers and School Administrators

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“Teaching Performance, Sense Of Belongingness And Attitude Of Thailand Adventist Missionary Teachers”

The purpose of this study is to examine the students’ perception toward the Thailand Adventist Mission (TAM) teachers’ teaching performance. The research study used simple random sampling techniques in selecting the research participants. Data were collected through a questionnaire and were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, namely, frequencies, percentage, and mean. The t-test and ANOVA were used to determine significant differences in the teaching performance, attitude and sense of belongingness of teachers when they were grouped by their profile. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to establish the relationship between the demographic variables. The study revealed that majority of the teachers at Thailand Adventist Mission (TAM) High School are male, 30-40 years in age, BS graduates and have been in the service for five years and above; majority of the students at TAM are female and 13-15 years in age. TAM teachers often feel a sense of belongingness and usually practice positive attitudes toward the school.Key Words: Teaching Performance, teaching technique, effective planning,student/teacher relationship, classroom environment, attitude and sense of belongingness

Establishing Quality Instrument for the Summative Assessment of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

The study aims to establish the quality of assessment instrument that is administered in the final term examination among pre- service elementary teachers. The test is a 50- item multiple choices type that covered the topics discussed during the term. It was administered among 106 second year students who were enrolled in the course. Quality of the test was determined through face validity, content validity, reliability, index of difficulty, index of discrimination, and item distracters of the test. Face validation of the test was done using the criteria and guidelines while content validation was determined through the Table of Specifications (TOS) of the test. Internal consistency of the test was established using Kuder- Richardson Formula 21 (KRF21). The index of difficulty, index of discrimination, and measure of attractiveness of item distracters of the test were determined using the item analysis procedures and applying the corresponding formulas needed. The results revealed that the test has its face validity, acceptable content validity, and high internal consistency. Item analysis also disclosed that most of the items have moderate index of difficulty, are discriminating and have effective distracters

Gauging the assessment literacy of Malaysia’s home economics teachers: an empirical study

In the effort to develop a world class educational system for Malaysia, the knowledge and skill in classroom assessment has to be upgraded to allow teachers to carry out a more effective teaching and learning process. Thus, the objectives of this study were to measure the level of assessment literacy based on the Standard for Teachers’ Competence in Educational Assessment of Students (AFT, NCME, NEA, 1990) and also to identify differences in assessment literacy based on teachers’ experience practising competency-based assessment. The instrument used to measure Teacher’s Assessment Literacyconsisted of 41 multiple choice items with the reliability index (KR20) =.73. Primary data were gathered from questionnaires completed and returned by 187 home economic teachers teaching Vocational Subjects in Malaysian secondary schools . The result of One-Way ANOVA test indicated that there was a significant difference between teachers’ assessment literacy and their experience of practising competency-based assessment (F (2,184=3.46, p< .05). The findings reflected that Home Economics teachers in Malaysia’s secondary schools had an average level of assessment literacy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for continuous professional development courses involving classroom assessment for Home Economics teachers to improve their practices, in particular, competency-based assessment

TEACHER’S COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE VERSUS TEACHERS’ WRITING ASSESSMENT

Many English teachers are not confident when they are required to examine their students essay although they have sufficient education and experience in assessing their students’ written works. Therefore, they need to be trained over a short period to rate their students’ writing.  They are also required to improve their knowledge or cognitive in order to literate ESL writing assessment to focus their students on learning to write and to edit their writing. Their affective or attitude to the feedback of writing assessment for writing instruction, the importance of writing assessment, the competence to administer the assessment, time-consuming writing assessment, the confidence of good writing instructor affect their quality in writing assessment. Therefore, in real practice of assessing writing, experienced teachers mostly plan and do their assessment based on what they believe about the assessment. Thus, successful assessing students’ writing does not only constitute the major portion of second language writing teachers’ workloads but also quantifies teachers affective factors. In addition, in administering assessments, teachers as raters need to care their students' and their own affectiveness, so students will value what they learn and teachers will pay attention more to their students’ learning

The Evaluation Of Teacher Professional Competencies In Former Non-White Namibian Schools

A ZJER article on teacher competence.The relationship between teacher competence and learner progress has been a subject of lively debate for several decades, particularly in the first world countries. This subject has also attracted widespread attention in Namibia, especially after independence because it has been suggested that teacher competence, particularly in former black schools is ineffective and encourages rote learning and little thinking. The national examination low pass rates continue to be an area of great concern. With the examination reforms currently under way in the country in which continuous assessment mil play a major role in evaluation, concern has been raised regarding teacher competence in educational assessment of students. The study discusses the integration of theory and practice by teachers in former non-white schools and the impact this has on the evaluation of their professional competencies in teaching and educational assessment of their students