EFL Teachers’ Use of Classroom-Based Assessment Strategies: Assessment Purposes and Practices

Abstract

Classroom-Based Assessment plays a fundamental role in any standards-based system of education. Unlike large-scale assessments which focus on measurement, classroom-based assessment, as the foundation for all other types of assessments, aims learning. Despite this prominence, different aspects of it have not received the due attention specifically in EFL context of Iran. To this end, this descriptive survey study sought to examine the purposes, strategies, and procedures lied behind Iranian EFL teachers’ use of classroom assessment. In this study, the data were collected by involving 187 Iranian EFL teachers who completed a questionnaire (adopted from Cheng, Roger, & Hu, 2004). The results revealed that Iranian EFL teachers used assessment with mainly student-centered purposes. In assessing different skills, the teachers’ use of student-administered strategies was more prominent. Finally, varying patterns were reported in their assessment procedures. They also devoted more than 20% of their class time to assessment. Such findings would raise the teachers’ awareness regarding their classroom-based assessment practices as they compare teachers’ assessment strategies and practices across various educational setting.