Language Assessment Literacy Instruction: Inquiry-Based vs. Expository Approaches to Enhance Student Teachers’ Conceptions of Assessment

Abstract

This convergent mixed-methods study explored the effectiveness of inquiry-based and expository instruction in shaping student teachers' conceptions of assessment. Forty-three BA-level TEFL sophomores were assigned to either an experimental or control group, receiving instruction through inquiry-based or expository approaches, respectively. The pre- and post-intervention phases involved administering the Students' Conceptions of Assessment (SCoA) questionnaire {revalidated for Iranian EFL student teachers) and a metaphor analysis survey in both groups. The study yielded a key finding: a notable divergence between the quantitative and qualitative results. While the metaphor analysis indicated a significant shift in assessment conceptions post-intervention, the quantitative data (SCoA questionnaire) revealed no statistically significant differences in assessment conceptions across instruction types. Despite the lack of statistically significant differences, it is nonetheless possible that student teachers gained valuable insights into their own assessment perceptions within the learning and teaching process. These findings hold pedagogical implications for EFL learners and teachers alike.