An Exploration of EFL Teachers’ Knowledge of and Attitudes towards Post-modern Approach to Language Assessment: A Qualitative Inquiry into Iranian EFL Teachers at Private Language Institutes

Abstract

Rested on postmodern thought patterns and their contributions to English language education in the guise of the alternative assessment paradigm, the present study investigated Iranian EFL teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards postmodern approach to language assessment. The thematic analysis proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006) was used for analyzing the data. Three core themes were extracted: low levels of assessment literacy among teachers, lack of alternative assessment tools, and the dominance of psychometric legacy. These themes were highly indicative of misalignment of participants’ stated knowledge and attitudes with the postmodern approach to language assessment. The concept of the alternative assessment paradigm and its virtues in education were vague for participant teachers. Indeed, teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards classroom assessment generally appeared to diverge from the major tenets of postmodern approach and were more inclined to modernist approach. In other words, the pendulum of the Iranian education system has not swung from the modernist testing paradigm to postmodern assessment paradigm. It is hoped that the insights gained in the light of the discussions be a short step in the long way journey to attain successful modes of classroom assessment.