Assessment Literacy Inventory Research Articles

Impact of educating faculty on student assessment: beyond satisfaction level

PurposeThis study evaluated the impact of a faculty training program on student assessment using the Kirkpatrick model.Design/methodology/approachA self-reported survey assessed 111 Saudi and non-Saudi participants' satisfaction. Subjective and objective measures (self-reported measures, assessment literacy inventory and performance-based assessment tasks) gauged participants' learning level. Pre- and post-training data were collected from 2020 to 2022.FindingsA highly significant effect on satisfaction (>80%) and learning levels was observed, as manifested by workplace practices of student assessment (>70%, the cut-off score). Pre- and post-training comparisons of participants' satisfaction and assessment literacy scores showed significant improvements following training. Multiple regression analyses showed no significant effects for gender and educational attainment but a substantial impact of academic cluster on participants' student assessment skills.Research limitations/implicationsLong-term effects of training faculty on assessment practices and student achievement will be studied at the institutional level in future research.Practical implicationsThe current study contributes to human capital investment via faculty training on student assessment, helping them comply with assessment best practices. This assures the quality, fairness and consistency of assessment processes across disciplines in higher education institutions, enhances assessment validity and trust in educational services and may support institutional accreditation.Social implicationsThis study provides opportunities for sharing best practices and helps establish a community of practice. It enhances learning outcomes achievement and empowers higher education graduates with attributes necessary to succeed in the labor market. The human capital investment may have a long-term impact on overall higher education quality.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the scarce literature investigating the impact of training faculty from different clusters on student assessment using subjective and objective measures. It provides developing and evaluating a long-term student assessment program following the Kirkpatrick model.

The Assessment Literacy for Secondary School Teachers in Tanzania

In this quantitative study, the assessment of literacy for secondary school teachers in Tanzania was examined using the Assessment Literacy Inventory (ALI), originally developed by Mertler and Campbell in 2005. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected secondary school teachers using the modified inventory which matched the local context. The purpose of employing ALI was to evaluate the levels of competence within the seven assessment standards and determine significant differences among the variables. The findings revealed that teachers had different levels of skills across these standards. Higher performance was observed in the area of "Choosing Assessment Methods that are Appropriate for Instructional Decisions," which scored an average of 1.52. In contrast, “Developing assessment methods that are appropriate for instructional decisions" had the lowest average score of 0.98. The Findings also revealed that significant differences were found in the mean competence of teachers with varying professional qualifications (p-value = 0.013). Teachers with master's degree qualifications had a mean score =10.20, which was higher assessment literacy compared to teachers with Diploma qualifications which had the mean score =7.7. However, the amount of time teachers spent in teaching (teaching experiences) had no significant impact on their assessment literacy (p-value = 0.429). Generally, the study revealed a worrying trend and indicated that Tanzania secondary school teachers have limited levels of assessment literacy. To address this, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology should prioritise the enhancement of assessment literacy amongst secondary school teachers through comprehensive professional development programmes in collaboration with educational institutions.

EFL TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT LITERACY

Due to the importance of assessing students’ learning, teachers have to allocate specific time for assessment during the teaching-learning process. For the sake of implementing effective assessment, adequate knowledge and skills of teachers in assessment are badly needed. However, there is an important question related to teachers’ knowledge and skills in assessment, “Do EFL teachers have a good understanding of effective assessment for their students?” This study tried to answer such curiosity by conducting a survey assessment literacy of EFL teachers. The EFL teachers involved in this study were English teachers at several secondary schools in an Indonesian context and the information on their assessment literacy was obtained through a set of Assessment Literacy Inventory (ALI). It was found from this study that the EFL teachers’ assessment literacy was relatively low, indicating their limited knowledge and skills in assessment. Consequently, more continuous and ongoing training, workshop and other teacher professional development are essential to improve the EFL teachers’ assessment literacy.

Measurement and Assessment Literacy Levels of Teachers in the Context of Certain Factors

In this study, measurement and assessment literacy levels of teachers were investigated in the context of certain factors. Assessment literacy inventory was applied to 189 secondary school teachers to determine teachers' measurement and assessment literacy levels. The item examination skill test was applied to 54 secondary school mathematics teachers to determine the relationship between secondary school mathematics teachers' measurement and assessment literacy levels and their skill to examine items appropriate to attainment and grade level was analyzed. It was as well as discovered that measurement and assessment literacy level of the teachers was low. It was also found that measurement and assessment literacy levels of the teachers significantly differ by professional seniority and branch. A moderately significant positive correlation was found between the teachers' skill to examine items appropriate to educational attainment and grade level, and their measurement and assessment literacy levels. Due to the low measurement and assessment literacy level of secondary school teachers, studies such as seminars or trainings on this subject can be conducted. Practical activities can also be conducted along with the theoretical information on the subject.

Teachers’ Assessment Literacy Impact on Learners’ Writing Achievements

Classroom assessment may significantly affect learners’ academic achievements. The effect can be either direct or indirect. Inspired by this fact, the current study attempted to investigate teachers’ assessment literacy and its impact on their current assessment practices and learners’ writing outcomes. The Inquiry endeavored to benefit an understanding of the extent to which teachers’ assessment literacy affects their practices and their learners’ outcomes. To this end, the researchers employed teachers’ assessment literacy inventory, and Writing Competence Rating Scale (WCRS) to obtain the data for analysis. Ten EFL instructors and seventy five male junior EFL undergraduate students were involved in this study. The results indicated that teachers’ assessment literacy has a statistically significant impact on learners’ writing achievements and teachers’ assessment awareness leads teaching environments into effective and motivated assessment design. The result suggested that teachers’ assessment awareness be taken into account as initial requirement for every teachers and educators

Probing into EFL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy and Teaching Experience: The Case of Native ESL and Non-native EFL Teachers

The present study was an attempt to extend our knowledge on the perspectives of English language native and non-native teachers about assessment literacy. Furthermore, it was intended to find if there was any significant relationship between native and non-native English language teachers’ perceptions regarding assessment literacy and their experience. To achieve such goals, a mixed methods design was utilized. In the quantitative phase, Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory developed by Campbell and Mertler (2004) was utilized which consisted of five scenarios. Through a combination of availability sampling and snowball sampling procedures, the researcher either distributed the questionnaire among 100 native and non-native English teachers or sent it by E-mail to them. In the qualitative phase, a semi-structured interview was selected as a qualitative tool for collecting data. To this end, 10 teachers volunteered to take part. Based on the quantitative findings, there was a positive relationship between native English language teachers’ perceptions regarding assessment literacy and their experience. However, there was not any significant relationship between non-native English language teachers’ perceptions regarding assessment literacy and their experience. Based on the qualitative results, seven codes were classified according to three themes, namely, assessment assumptions, assessment targets, and professional development. These seven codes were classroom observations, assessment consistency, formative assessments, summative assessment, higher-order thinking skills, lack of assessment literacy of coursework, and lack of technology assessment literacy. Thus, it is concluded that teachers should assume the role of classroom observation and consistency of the assessment as two major assumptions of assessment.

The Impact of Specialty, Sex, Qualification, and Experience on Teachers’ Assessment Literacy at Saudi Higher Education

The importance of assessment literacy (AL) among teachers at all educational levels has been of interest for a considerable period. Literature has shown the increasing research surrounding the importance of AL knowledge and its impact on students' performance. This paper examines the level of assessment literacy among instructors on a Saudi higher education university preparatory program. It uses a/the Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory (CALI), developed by Mertler and Campbell (2005), and a demographic questionnaire to investigate the AL level. It also looks at the impact of factors such as specialty (i.e., subject department), sex, academic qualification, and years of teaching experience on the AL level. The subjects of the study included 54 English and Basic Sciences teachers on the preparatory program. The study found that the level of AL among the participants was inadequate (mean=17). However, there was no significant difference found among the participants when it came to sex, qualifications, or years of experience. The subject department, on the other hand, was found to be a factor that impacted the level of AL. The study concludes with some recommendations related to increasing assessment literacy among in-service teachers and, more importantly, it highlights the importance of contextual factors when evaluating assessment literacy. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.5.12

Exploring In-Service TEYL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy: Implication For Continuing Professional Development

Assessment is central and holds essential role in language learning from which the result of the teaching and learning are derived. It shows that the ability of language teachers in assessing their students is crucial. This study explored the assessment literacy of in-service TEYL teachers in Bogor by employing narrative case study. The subjects of the study were 19 English teachers around Bogor. In collecting the data, CALI (Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory) and FGD (Focus Group Discussion) were employed. The data gathered from CALI were then scored and analyzed, and FGD data were coded based on the assessment literacy standards from which conclusion were derived. The findings reveal that teachers have poor level of assessment literacy. Consequently, teachers must update themselves by conducting continuing professional development.
 HIGHLIGHTS:
 
 Assessing Young Learners is complicated and challenging for Indonesian teachers because of the demand of the Curriculum 2013.
 Assessment literacy is central in English language learning from which teachers can assess their students and communicate the results to the stakeholder.
 Continuing Professional Development is an important action that can be done by teachers to increase their assessment literacy.

Alanla İlişkilendirilmiş Uygulamalı Ölçme ve Değerlendirme Dersinin Etkileri

The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of content-associated applied measurement and evaluation course on pre-service teachers' assessment literacy, their attitudes towards the measurement and evaluation course, and their field-specific content knowledge. Furthermore, the study aims to reveal the pre-service teachers' views on content-associated applied measurement practices. The mixed method research approach, which combines qualitative and quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The quantitative data collection was conducted with 90 science teacher candidates. The qualitative data collection was conducted with six teacher candidates from the experimental group. The Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory (CALI), Measurement and Evaluation Course Attitude Scale (MECAS), Academic Achievement Test (AAT), and Focus Group Interview Form were used as the data collection tools in the study. It was found that the content-associated applied measurement and evaluation course improves the measurement and evaluation literacy of the candidate teachers, fosters their positive attitudes towards the course of measurement and evaluation, and increases their content knowledge. Furthermore, the focus group interviews with the pre-service teachers both helped explain the reasons behind the quantitative results, and provided detailed information about the degree of effectiveness of the method applied in the teaching process.

Iraqi EFL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy: Perceptions and Practices

In current educational approaches, the purpose and functions of assessment have extended, and teachers are expected to have good knowledge of the principles of modern assessment. In line with this fact, the present study investigated the assessment literacy levels of Iraqi English language teachers through Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory (CALI) based on the seven standards of teachers’ assessment competence for educational assessment of students developed by the American Federation of Teachers, National Council on Measurement in Education and National Education Association (1990). The data were collected from 101 teachers working at secondary and preparatory schools of Suleymaniyah and Arbil governorates in the North of Iraq. The findings revealed that Iraqi English language teachers responded less than 15 correct responses out of 35 questions. According to the findings, teachers got the lowest score from standard seven (recognizing unethical, illegal, and otherwise inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information). The highest score was from standard four (using assessment results when making educational decisions). Although 77% of teachers reported to have been adequately trained for assessment, the results revealed that they had low level of assessment literacy. Revisions in teacher preparation programs and preparation of professional training courses for in-service teachers are recommended.

Iraqi EFL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy: Perceptions and Practices

In current educational approaches, the purpose and functions of assessment have extended, and teachers are expected to have good knowledge of the principles of modern assessment. In line with this fact, the present study investigated the assessment literacy levels of Iraqi English language teachers through Classroom Assessment Literacy Inventory (CALI) based on the seven standards of teachers’ assessment competence for educational assessment of students developed by the American Federation of Teachers, National Council on Measurement in Education and National Education Association (1990). The data were collected from 101 teachers working at secondary and preparatory schools of Suleymaniyah and Arbil governorates in the North of Iraq. The findings revealed that Iraqi English language teachers responded less than 15 correct responses out of 35 questions. According to the findings, teachers got the lowest score from standard seven (recognizing unethical, illegal, and otherwise inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information). The highest score was from standard four (using assessment results when making educational decisions). Although 77% of teachers reported to have been adequately trained for assessment, the results revealed that they had low level of assessment literacy. Revisions in teacher preparation programs and preparation of professional training courses for in-service teachers are recommended.

Identifying New Jersey Teachers’ Assessment Literacy as Precondition for Implementing Student Growth Objectives

The Student Growth Objectives are assessments created locally or by commercial educational organizations. The students’ scores from the Student Growth Objectives are included in teacher summative evaluation as one of the measures of teacher’s effectiveness. The high amplitude of the requirements in teacher evaluation raised a concern of whether New Jersey public school teachers were competent in assessment theory to effectively utilize the state mandated tests. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify New Jersey teachers’ competence in student educational assessments. The researcher measured teachers’ assessment literacy level between different groups based on subject taught, years of experience, school assignment and educational degree attained. The data collection occurred via e-mail. Seven hundred ninety eight teachers received an Assessment Literacy Inventory survey developed by Mertler and Campbell. Eighty-two teachers fully completed the survey (N=82). The inferential analysis included an independent-sample t test, One-Way Analyses of Variances test, a post hoc, Tukey test and Welch and Brown-Forsythe tests. The results of this study indicated teachers’ overall scores of 51% on entire instrument. The highest overall score of 61% was for Standard 1, Choosing Appropriate Assessment Methods. The lowest overall score of 39% was for Standard 2, Developing Appropriate Assessment Methods. The conclusion of this study was that New Jersey teachers demonstrated a low level of competence in student educational assessments. In general, the teacher assessment literacy did not improve during the last two decades.

The Development of Assessment Literacy in Chinese Pre-Service Primary Teachers

This quasi-experiment using two classes, each of these 40 participants, examined the effectiveness of a backward-designed training course for improving Chinese pre-service primary teachers’ assessment literacy. Framed by the Understanding by Design approach, the12-week course was taken by those in the treatment group. The average level of assessment literacy among the Chinese pre-service teachers was initially low, with only 42% of the items on the modified Assessment Literacy Inventory correctly answered. ANCOVA results suggest the assessment literacy training course improved pre-service teachers’ assessment literacy, F(1,77)=135.911, p<.001, with an adjusted posttest mean difference of 7 points (on a 35-item test; partial eta squared= .64). Implications for teacher training and policy are discussed.

The Relationship between EFL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy, Their Teaching Experience, and Their Age: A Case of Iranian EFL Teachers

In recent decades, issues of assessment design and implementation has gained increased attention in education, (Saad, et al 2013). It is believed that ability in deciding correct, practical, and fair assessment methods are requirements to use information properly in order to support instructional decisions. Teachers are required to be aware of various kinds of information gathered from an extensive series of assessment alternatives and their strengths and weaknesses (Mertler, 2009). The present study, aimed to shed light on the relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ assessment literacy, their teaching experience, and age. To this end, 658 EFL teachers were selected to fill out a researcher made assessment literacy inventory which has gone through the validation and reliability processes. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS program (version21). The results of data analysis indicated that there is a highly significant positive relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ assessment literacy and teaching experience. There also found a positive relationship between Iranian EFL teachers’ assessment literacy and their age.

Impact of an Assessment Course on Teacher Candidates’ Assessment Literacy

Understanding effective and appropriate techniques for assessing student learning has never been as critical and political as is it is today. Accurate assessment methodologies employed in public schools are vital to the interpretation of student achievement data through which school effectiveness is being measured. Although there is a need, research has shown that preservice teachers are not receiving adequate training in their teacher preparation courses. The authors of this study examined the assessment literacy of teacher candidates before and after completing a required assessment course in their teacher preparation program. Teacher candidates (N = 190) were asked to complete the Assessment Literacy Inventory as a pretest measure and posttest measure. Findings revealed that certain aspects of assessment literacy were present before the course, but also that exposure to the course potentially increased assessment literacy in some areas. Implications for researchers and practitioners are included.

Examining the utility of Assessment Literacy Inventory and its portability to education systems in the Asia Pacific region

Teachers use assessment to ascertain and enhance student learning, thus the importance of assessment literacy. One of the instruments that has been used to examine teachers’ assessment literacy is the Assessment Literacy Inventory developed by Mertler and Campbell. The Assessment Literacy Inventory has been validated using pre-service teachers and employing traditional statistical techniques. This study reports on the evaluation of the Assessment Literacy Inventory utility using 582 in-service teachers through employing the Rasch model and confirmatory factor analysis. The results indicate that the Assessment Literacy Inventory works well at the item level. However, the Assessment Literacy Inventory seven-factor structure, based on the Standards for Teacher Competence in Educational Assessment of Students, poses challenges against newer psychometric techniques. Hence, recommendations are presented. This article concludes with relevant implications for instrument development, educational assessment research, policy and practice, and teachers’ professional development.

Teachers' assessment knowledge and their perceptions of the impact of classroom assessment professional development

Assessing student performance is one of the most critical aspects of the job of a classroom teacher; however, many teachers in the United States do not feel adequately prepared to assess their students' performance. These feelings of inadequacy are exemplified when placed against the context of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, especially with its increased focus on accountability and assessment. This study examined the effectiveness of a two-week classroom assessment workshop for inservice teachers. The workshop was based on the Standards for Teacher Competence in the Educational Assessment of Students and focused on discussion, practice, and practical application through performance assessment tasks. The study utilized a parallel mixed-methods design. Teachers were pre-tested and post-tested using the Assessment Literacy Inventory. Additionally, teachers kept daily reflective journals in order to document their experiences. The training was shown to be highly effective for the teachers, as evidenced through the dramatic increase in post-test scores over pre-test scores, and perhaps even more so through critical examination of their reflective journals.