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- Title
Understanding K-12 In-service EFL Teachers' Online Assessment Practices and Assessor Identity: A Chinese Study.
- Authors
Shao, Siyuan
- Abstract
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, distance teaching brought on unforeseen challenges around the world, including classroom-based assessment practice. However, little attention has been paid to teachers' assessment practice and their identity as assessor in the new teaching situation. This study examines Chinese K-12 in-service EFL teachers' assessment practice and their identity as assessor in the pandemic. Three rounds of semi-structured interviews were used to probe six in-service teachers. The findings revealed that three major online assessment practices were implemented in response to the challenges: (1) remaining unaltered in online assessment practice; (2) being proactive in formative assessment; (3) provision of online feedback. Results also showed that there were three types of assessment identity that could be identified, namely, positive negotiator, flexible facilitator and struggling follower. The findings indicated assessment practice and assessment identity reciprocally influenced each other in a new assessment context. Different identities might lead to different assessment practice with varied and mixed emotions attached to it. Moreover, varying identities interacted with each other on medicating their online assessment practice. Plain language summary: In this study, six in-service EFL teachers' assessment experiences during Covid-19 are reported, offering in-depth reflections on how the challenges can be met by other in-service teachers. The findings are valuable for all stakeholders to understand that teachers need a more emotional support in dealing with the new assessment environment. It revealed a wide range of online assessment practices, including remaining unaltered, being supportive of formative assessment and provision of online feedback. In addition, their assessment identity can be understood as positive negotiator, flexible facilitator and struggling follower. Among these participants, most of them were not hindered by the constraints of the pandemic; instead, they made use of their agency and devoted themselves to their work. In this process, they encountered uncertainties, conflicts and challenges, but also gained strength and confidence through them, building their assessment identity in positive ways. Moreover, different identities may lead to different assessment practice accompanied by mixed emotions. Tensions exist in the process of identity construction. In this sense, teacher assessment training programs should help in-service teachers become more aware of their identity as assessor. They also need longer hours to be more fully engaged in online assessment practice to learn to confront the complexities and challenges of assessment practice, and (re)construct their identity as assessors.
- Subjects
ENGLISH as a foreign language; IN-service training of teachers; COVID-19 pandemic; FORMATIVE tests; STAKEHOLDERS
- Publication
SAGE Open, 2023, Vol 13, Issue 4, p1
- ISSN
2158-2440
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/21582440231216617