Language assessment in the new English curriculum in Iran: managerial, institutional, and professional barriers

Abstract

Assessment policies and practices are key to the success of curriculum innovations. Therefore, large-scale ELT innovations always include changes in assessment too. Thinking that Iranian students were not enabled to communicate in English after six years of English education in public schools, educational policy makers have recently embarked on a new curriculum that is thought to be a departure from traditional reading and grammar approach towards a communicative one. This study investigated the impact of a recent language assessment reform (LAR) on Iranian English teachers’ assessment practices. To this end, four teachers participated in a focused group interview (FGI) session. Teacher-made tests were also collected and scrutinized. Both FGI and test data were content analyzed and the recurring themes were derived. It was revealed that managerial, institutional, and individual barriers stand in the way of the reform. First, the managerial, technocratic approach to reform implementation has caused teachers not to take ownership of the reform. Secondly, at the institutional level, two obstacles were identified in the way of reform: inadequate resources within schools and the accountability demands that foster grade inflation. Finally, regarding professional competencies, teachers appeared to be largely unprepared to conduct language assessments consistent with the LAR demands. In particular, they seemed to have difficulties with the contents of their assessments, with the reasons for doing assessments, and with adjusting their assessments in keeping with LAR communicative aspirations. To remedy the situation, action should be taken to convince teachers to buy into the reform and to create opportunities for teachers to become adequately literate in language assessment.

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