Assessment literacy can be defined as an understanding of the principles of sound assessment and a teacher's capacity to examine student performance evidence and discern quality work through the analysis of achievement scores (Fullan, 2001; Popham, 2004). In the contemporary educational landscape, there is an increasing emphasis on teachers incorporating a variety of assessment practices. This is due to the fact that an overreliance on a single assessment method hinders an educator's ability to adapt teaching and learning to meet the individual needs of students (Stiggins, 2002).In addition to understanding the principles of various assessment methods, it is crucial for teachers to be aware of the purposes, functions, and unintended consequences of these methods. They should also be skilled in integrating traditional and creative classroom assessments. In essence, teachers must possess a comprehensive understanding of the strengths and limitations of the assessment tools at their disposal, and select those that are optimally suited to evaluate achievement targets that are aligned with course objectives and instructional goals. The utilisation of effective classroom assessment enables educators to make precise inferences regarding the achievement of individual students and to communicate these findings to students and parents (Brookhart, 1999). Consequently, it is imperative that educators possess the capacity to inform students about the grading criteria, to interpret test scores appropriately, and to employ assessment results to enhance students' learning and their own teaching practices.The extant literature on the assessment literacy of language teachers indicates that this literacy exerts a significant influence on the attainment of learning outcomes (Cheng, Andrews & Yu, 2011; Tsagari, 2009; Vogt & Tsagari, 2014). That is to say, the development of assessment literacy is of paramount importance for teachers to assess their students' L2 progress appropriately and to improve their learning. In this regard, it is imperative to recognise that English language teachers may encounter challenges in delivering optimal professional results without being adequately trained in language assessment.

Furthermore, many who are registered in various European educational systems reported lack of “language assessment literacy” (Carlsen & Helness 2004; Hasselgreen et al., 2004; Hill, 2017; Inbar-Lourie 2013; Tsagari & Csépes 2011). It is also noted that the majority of them lack sufficient knowledge of even basic terms of assessment although they are responsible for all kinds of assessment-related tasks in the classroom (Popham, 2009). Considering the Turkish context, teachers are responsible for the assessment of their students by utilizing various assessment types including formative assessment and summative assessment. They are expected to design tests to identify the students’ proficiency in English.

Furthermore, it was observed that a significant proportion of teachers were not adequately prepared to integrate assessment into their teaching practices in an effective manner. Novice teachers in particular appeared to lack confidence in this area (Mertler, 2004) and a study conducted by Mertler (1999) revealed that teachers tend to develop assessment skills on the job, as opposed to in structured environments such as courses or workshops.

This study primarily aimed to reveal assessment literacy, assessment practices and needs of English as a foreign language teachers working with second, third and fourth graders at Turkish state primary schools. It is significant in that these students’ progress in English is not officially tested during the second, third and fourth years of primary schooling. Nonetheless, the teachers working with these young learners need to assess their progress in English in order to provide feedback both for the students’ learning and their own teaching. The research data were collected with a questionnaire adapted from Vogt and Tsagari (2014).  

The research data were collected with a questionnaire adapted from Vogt and Tsagari (2014). The first section of the questionnaire focused on i) teachers’ classroom-focused LTA practices, ii) purposes of testing and iii) content and concepts of LTA to reveal assessment and training domains the teachers received training and the domains they need further training. The questionnaire consisted of the Likert-type items ranging from 1 (not at all) to 3 (more advanced). The second section of the questionnaire included three open-ended questions to gain a better insight into the attitudes of the participating teachers about the LTA practices.The reliability of data collection tool estimates ranged from .73 to .87 indicating a high level of internal consistency (Gliem, & Gliem, 2003).

The data will be quantitatively analysed and a couple of practical implications will be generated based on the research results. The study is hoped to contribute the literature on language assessment literacy and practices of the teachers working with young learners.

Brookhart, S. M. (1999). Teaching about communicating assessment results and grading. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 18(1), 5–13. Popham, W. J. (2004). All about accountability/Why assessment illiteracy is professional suicide. Educational Leadership, 62(1), 82–83. Stiggins, R. J. (2002). Assessment crisis: The absence of assessment for learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(10), 758–765. Tsagari, D (2009) The Complexity of Test Washback: An Empirical Study, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang GmbH. Vogt, K. & D. Tsagari (2014). Assessment literacy of foreign language teachers: Findings of a European study. Language Assessment Quarterly 11, 374-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2014.960046