Assessing Assessment Literacy: Insights From a High-Stakes Test

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Abstract

This study constitutes an attempt to see what Language assessment literacy (LAL) is
for three groups of stakeholders, namely LAL test developers, LAL instructors, and
LAL test-takers. The perceptions of the former group were derived from the content
analysis of the latest version of the LAL test, and those of the latter 2 groups were
assessed through a survey designed by the researcher. Participants were 54 M.A.
TEFL students sampled conveniently. Descriptive statistical analysis of the data
revealed that for test designers LAL is mainly a matter of knowledge and theory
with little importance accorded to skills and even less so to principles. For
instructors and test-takers, LAL was perceived to be mainly a matter of skills.
Moreover, test-takers perceived of LAL as the most challenging module of the test
because of its dealing with statistics, its theoretical nature, and test-takers' lack of
hands-on experience with language tests.

Keywords