Measuring Pre-Service English Teachers’ Assessment Competence in The Competence-Based English Curriculum in Vietnam

Measuring Pre-Service English Teachers’ Assessment Competence in The Competence-Based English Curriculum in Vietnam

Duong Thu Mai maidk2018@gmail.com University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University (Vietnam)
Pham Thi Thu Ha haptt1983@vnu.edu.vn University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University (Vietnam)
Summary: 
Conducting assessment is well-known for posing serious challenges to teachers, particularly with the pluralism in assessment approaches. In Vietnam, English language teachers recently are required to master specified pedagogical competencies, including assessment of students’ newly defined language competence, and the national English curriculum has been continuously updated, while most teachers are not prepared for conducting classroom assessment in a competence-based approach. Local English teacher training universities have responded to this need by implementing language assessment courses. The conceptualization of pre-service teachers’ assessment competence and the effects of these courses, however, remains fairly unknown. This study examines the construct of preservice teachers’ assessment competence and the results of one introductory language assessment course at a leading language teacher education institution in Vietnam, focusing on measuring the competence of teachers-to-be in language assessment. Both Rasch analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the functioning of the items in a localized construct of assessment literacy for preservice English teachers and these teachers’ self-assessment results, which revealed that a) many practical components of the construct of language assessment competence can function well, but some requirements need to be adapted and instructed with more attention for students in the future courses, and b) while many student teachers could sufficiently perform the required language assessment tasks and were fundamentally ready for the job, others faced serious difficulties in applying the more abstract principles. The findings shed light on the necessary adjustments to be made in defining assessment literacy for the target teachers and offer suggestions for the future professional development of both these teachers and in-service ones.
Keywords: 
language assessment competence
EFL teacher education
assessment literacy
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