DEVELOPING TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT LITERACY BY IMPROVING EXISTING TESTS: ANALYSES AND TOOLS

Abstract

The present research paper attempts to provide an exemplary step-by-step description of the improvement and tailoring process of an existing assessment to provide practical guidelines to English teachers. The theories, tools, and techniques mentioned in the study are expected to serve as guidelines for teachers in their assessment literacy improvement paths. To make the guidelines more practical and self-explicatory to teachers/readers, this investigation deals with the modification of an existing assessment (quiz test) used in one of the English for Specific Courses (ESP) – Business English module for future logisticians, which is provided in the context of higher education (HE) institution – Inha University in Tashkent (IUT). The research aims to tailor the modern test (unit quiz) and make it meet the needs of a learner and the Common European Framework of References (CEFR) standards; principally, it also intends to ensure that the test responds to the five principles of assessment: reliability, practicality, validity, washback, and authenticity. This case study covers the description of the study subject, analysis of a test used at schools the study subject attends, and its modified version. The implemented research methods involved qualitative and quantitative data collection tools such as pre- and post-interviews with the subject, pre- and post-tests, observation, and feedback. The result of this study which was scrutinized based on the piloting outcomes, showed that it was successfully polished and oriented to the topical learner profile at this HE institution. Besides, the test eventually meets the assessment principles because of the adjustments, which make it suitable for the CEFR standards.