To enhance quality and equity in educational assessment, the aspect of individual assessment identity needs to be taken into account, problematised and discussed, as different positions may entail different beliefs and assumptions that are likely to affect assessment practices. This paper discusses analyses of interview data collected over two years from novice middle-school teachers teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in Sweden (n=17). Through the theoretical lens of Dialogical Self Theory, DST, (Hermans et al., 1992), the focal point of being fair is viewed in light of seemingly conflicting assessment identities. Results from qualitative content analysis of how the participants experience their assessment identities as part of their formation of teacher identities are summarised in a model. The pattern in the data indicates four basic assessment identity positions, which may all have important implications for equity. The model offers explicit terminology for complex, more or less tacit, realities and also points at potential choices to be made. Being able to discuss assessment identity at a meta level may contribute to the awareness and empowerment of novice teachers and thus enhance equity in assessment.

Developing assessment identity as a novice EFL teacher: A balance act between fairness and accountability

Research on EFL novice teachers’ assessment identity development is closely related to the aims of sustainable language assessment from at least two perspectives. One is the positive effects of discussing language assessment connected to professional identity from a teacher perspective. Seeing that assessment identity as a phenomenon is far from a fixed entity, and that each position has its benefits and drawbacks, could strengthen teachers in their assessment identities when implying that change not only is possible, but the normal and even to be the norm. A second perspective is that of students, who gain from quality assessments where teachers have balanced the demands of fair and accountable assessments through insights about themselves as assessors.

As part of the results from a research project about novice teachers’ assumptions and beliefs about assessment, a four-fielder model of language assessment identity positions, LAIP, has been developed. Based on the analysis of 39 hours of recorded focus-group interviews with novices working with young learners (age 10 – 12) over two years, the LAIP-model shows how the main themes of fairness and accountability are played out. 

As such, the LAIP model may serve as a game-changer which offers an understanding of different assessment approaches, thereby enabling discussions bringing more or less sensitive key issues to the fore. Member checks also reveal a need to address assessment identity formation during teacher education, before standing face-to-face with the complexities of assessment. 

Despite the fact that assessment and assessment practices have become a more explicitly significant part of teachers’ responsibilities, there is a lack of reported research concerning the formation of novice teacher EFL identities, in particular with regard to their role as assessors. Likewise, there seems to be a lack of research regarding if and how these identities change over time. In the Swedish context, where teachers are in a unique position of assessing their own pupils’ work, studies on assessment identity development are even more sought after.

This presentation shares some of the insights from a four-year research project investigating the way student and novice teachers think about themselves as assessors of young learners of English (age 10 – 12), and how they experience the balance between accountability demands and making fair assessments. 

Focus-group interviews with 16 novice teachers over 2 years, resulting in 39 hours of transcript, where analysed using content analysis (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004). Dialogical Self Theory (Hermans, 2001), is used to explain dialogical positioning and re-positioning within the self. This view is helpful when studying identity development among novices, as the potential for conflicting positions are abundant.

The results illustrate diverse beliefs and assumptions about assessment among the participants. Based on the findings, a four-field model is introduced, where identities are positioned according to their technical or pedagogical approach, and their compliance to the accountability system. Member checks reveal a need to address assessment identity formation during teacher education, before standing face-to-face with all the complexities of assessment. The study helps nuance our understanding of assessment identity formation and accentuates the importance of the immediate context for classroom assessment practices, high- and low-stakes alike.

Since 2010, the Swedish Education Act states that all education must be grounded in science and proven practice. This means that not only policy makers, but also all teaching personnel working within the education system must keep themselves informed in their subject area and follow educational development and research. However, this is easier said than done. Assessor behaviour and teacher beliefs have become topical issues in educational research, as more weight is placed on final assessment results by policy makers. The identities of novice teachers entering the transitional space between student and professional, where accountability shapes their teaching practices, attract increased scholarly interest. However, longitudinal studies focusing on the development of language teachers’ assessment identity are scarce. This project with its interest in language teachers’ assessment identity, aims at creating a platform where research and experience meet and enrich each other in a collaborative and reciprocal way through a mixed-methods explanatory design. Through an initial online survey among pre-service middle school teachers, several themes emerged that will be further explored through continuous focus group interviews during two years. Preliminary findings from the survey data with 118 returns shed light on how these novice teachers think about themselves as assessors of young learners of English. They share firm preconceptions of their agency regarding assessment practices, and how these might affect their pupils, despite a lack of experience. In this project, practitioners, in the form of novice teacher assessors, can gain meta-awareness of preconceptions and a better understanding of their own assessment practices. At the same time, scientific research gains original knowledge through a deeper understanding of the development of assessor identity. The win-win situation lies in the fact that this mutual enterprise could inform teacher education, everyday assessment practices and high stake testing, benefitting all students.