EFL Teachers’ Cognition and Practice of Assessment for Learning in Teaching Speaking Skills

Abstract

 The aim of this study was to investigate EFL teachers’ cognition and practices of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in teaching speaking skills in some selected secondary schools found in four zones of the Amhara Region. It employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 368 EFL teachers whereas; a semi-structured interview and classroom observations were used for the qualitative data, which were gathered from 15 teachers. Descriptive statistics and Interpretative Phenomenological data Analysis (IPA) methods were used to analyse both data types. The findings of the study show that EFL teachers’ awareness, beliefs, and practices of AfL were with mean scores of 3.64, 2.87, and 2.46 respectively which was largely moderate to low.Qualitative findings suggested that many teachers associated continuous testing with AfL, perceiving it primarily as a grading tool rather than a formative procedure for improving speaking skills through feedback and reflection. As a result, AfL techniques were rarely used in the classroom. It was also found that there was a conceptual and practical lack of alignment between assessment tasks and instructional objectives. It was concluded that although teachers demonstrated a moderate level of awareness, their practices and beliefs were constrained. Context-specific professional development activities and lesson studies were recommended to improve EFL teachers’ awareness, beliefs, and practices of AfL.