Formative assessment task design supported student teacher LAL growth

What the study found: Sustained engagement with formative assessment (FA, assessment used to support learning) task design was linked to more developed language assessment literacy (LAL, the knowledge and skills needed to design and use assessment for learning) in one student teacher. The student teacher showed stronger understanding of FA, a greater wish to use FA-oriented instruction, more awareness of FA’s role in self-regulated learning, and a more nuanced view of the difficulties of implementing FA.
Why the authors say this matters: The authors conclude that initial teacher education can mediate student teachers’ engagement with FA task design. They also state that the findings have implications for teacher education programs in similar educational contexts, especially for building FA task design into assessment courses and providing sustained, context-sensitive support during practicum.
What the researchers tested: The study used an in-depth qualitative case study of a single student teacher in a Chinese initial teacher education program. The researchers analyzed semi-structured interviews, lesson plans, classroom observations, stimulated recall interviews, and reflective journals across a teaching methodology course and a practicum.
What worked and what didn't: The findings show that sustained work on FA task design supported more sophisticated understandings of FA. At the same time, pre-existing assessment conceptions, school culture norms, and limited targeted mentoring constrained LAL development in relation to FA.
What to keep in mind: This is a single-case study of one student teacher, so the scope is limited. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the contextual factors noted above.

Key points

• Sustained engagement with FA task design was associated with stronger LAL in one student teacher.
• The student teacher developed greater recognition of the pedagogical value of authentic FA tasks.
• The student teacher increasingly wanted to use FA-oriented instruction that promotes higher-order thinking.
• The study says FA tasks were seen as supporting students’ self-regulated learning.
• Pre-existing assessment beliefs, school culture norms, and limited mentoring constrained development.