A Comparative Study Of Assessment Literacy Between Novice And Proficient Secondary School English Teachers Based On The Concept Of Educational Assessment Reform

This research examines the conceptual,praxeological and socio-emotional dimensions of assessment literacy among secondary school English teachers based on the three-dimensional model proposed by Pastore.By determining the assessment literacy levels of secondary foreign language teachers,it explores whether there are significant differences in assessment literacy between novice and proficient teachers to bridge the gap,thereby revealing the underlying causes and problems and developing possible strategies to improve the assessment literacy of secondary English teachers.In this research,65 novice and 69 proficient secondary English teachers were selected for the study.Their assessment literacy was investigated through questionnaires,classroom observations and semi-structured interviews.In analyzing the data,descriptive analysis was carried out using Excel and SPSS 27.0.After obtaining these quantitative statistics,the researcher compared the mean and standard deviation of the assessment literacy.Also to find out whether there were significant differences in assessment literacy between novice and experienced teachers,independent sample t-tests and two-way ANOVA were used to test whether teachers’ educational resources and assessment experience had a significant effect on the differences in assessment literacy between novice and experienced secondary English teachers.Further qualitative analysis was also collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations.The descriptive results indicated that the overall assessment literacy level of secondary English teachers was moderate and could be improved.Notably,secondary English teachers scored the lowest on the conceptual and reform dimensions,particularly in terms of understanding certain basic assessment theories and terminology,and how to improve assessment literacy in the context of the current era of assessment reform.It is encouraging to note that teachers have recognized the importance of assessment in language education and are able to pay attention to students’ emotional feelings and psychological responses during the assessment process.Secondly,there were significant differences between the assessment literacy of proficient teachers and novice teachers.The proficient teachers were more able to implement positive assessment in the classroom and other authentic teaching environments.Classroom observations also indicated that proficient teachers used assessment more frequently in the classroom.The third research question examined whether the assessment literacy of novice and proficient secondary English teachers was influenced by educational resources and assessment experience.The findings indicated that assessment experience influenced the difference in assessment literacy between novice and proficient teachers.To some extent,assessment experience and personal effort encourage future novice teachers to work harder and become better teachers.From the semi-structured interviews,it was clear that secondary school English teachers were generally highly enthusiastic about improving their assessment literacy.In order to improve the assessment literacy of teachers,there are two types of training pathways,pre-service and in-service.At the same time,many individuals such as society,schools,parents,teachers and students must work together in order to raise awareness of the quality of education.For teachers themselves,their own self-belief is crucial.Self-confidence,enthusiasm and hard work are essential psychological factors on the way to improving assessment literacy.