Rethinking teacher assessment education: a sociocultural perspective

The existing literature has revealed the inadequate level of teacher assessment literacy, which can be partly attributed to the knowledge transmission model widely adopted in teacher education programs (Davin & Heineke, 2016). A promising alternative, I would argue, is to draw on the Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT) (Vygotsky, 1978), particularly his elaboration on concept formation (Vygotsky, 1986). In this presentation, I will start by operationalising the teacher assessment literacy (TAL) construct via a critical synthesis of both language and general education literature. Subsequently, I will draw on the Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory to propose viewing teacher assessment literacy development as a process of concept formation. This process, as Vygotsky (1986) explains, is long and complex, occurs in stages, and involve the dialectical synergy of spontaneous and scientific concepts. To conclude the presentation, I will demonstrate the potential of concept-based instruction (CBI) as a viable alternative to the commonly used but increasingly criticised knowledge transmission approach in promoting TAL development.