Professional Development as a Means for Enhancing Teachers’ Formative Assessment Practices: The Case of EFL Teachers at El-oued University

Abstract

Teachers’ knowledge of formative assessment must be assessed in order to direct the professional development for teachers. The purpose of this research is to investigate and explore how EFL teachers conceptualize formative assessment process and how they judge its usefulness in the teaching/learning process. The study adopted a mixed method approach to understand the process of formative assessment within the higher teacher education context. We conducted two questionnaires (one directed to teachers and the second to students). In this study,75 students responded to a questionnaire;21 teachers took part in the study. In addition, observation for two classes (35-40 students) were conducted to triangulate the current practices of teachers and students. The findings from this research can increase understanding of assessment in higher education settings and may benefit teachers who implement formative assessment practices, through continuous and regular professional development. This study offers suggestions that may help teachers facilitate and innovate the implementation of formative assessment in the field of ELT..