Multiple Stakeholder Interaction to Enhance Preservice Teachers’ Language Assessment Literacy

Abstract

Conducted in a U.S. English-to-Speakers-of-Other-Languages (ESOL) preservice teacher education program, this case study aimed to explore a dynamic process of preservice teachers’ development of language assessment literacy (LAL). By inviting multiple stakeholders, namely preservice teachers, an inservice teacher and her ESOL students, and their course instructor, this study closely examined the interaction among the stakeholders during a semester-long language assessment development project as a process to develop LAL. The project, which was composed of planning, development, implementation, and reflection stages, was innovative in that it: (a) involved the multiple stakeholders; (b) focused on their dynamic interactions and multi-directional influences on all the participants’ enhancement of LAL; and (c) was conducted in an online format. By employing thematic analyses on interactions among the stakeholders, this study described and analyzed how preservice teachers contextualize their assessment while negotiating the needs of the inservice teachers and their students with assistance from the course instructor. The paper identified practical benefits and challenges of professional training where multiple stakeholders are involved. It also highlighted the non-linear dynamic process of preservice teachers’ development of LAL.