Investigating the Economic Influence on the Needs for Language Assessment Literacy among EFL Teachers: A Comparative Study between Middle School EFL Teachers in Guangzhou and Meizhou in China

Abstract

Previous research on teacher language assessment literacy (LAL) ignored the impact of economic factors on LAL needs. This study aims to fill that gap by examining the perceptions of LAL needs among EFL teachers in Guangzhou and Meizhou, two cities in China representing economically developed and economically underdeveloped settings. The research utilized a questionnaire adapted from Kremmel and Harding and supplemented with semi-structured interviews. Seventy-six teachers participated in the survey, which identified significant differences in four key assessment dimensions: assessment and language pedagogy, assessment principles and interpretation, washback and preparation, and statistical research and methods. Semi-structured interviews with a subset of six teachers revealed three interrelated factors that significantly influence LAL needs: (1) the macro-level educational landscape and policy, (2) the meso-level influence from institutional mandates, resource constraints, and the teacher community for collaboration, and (3) teachers’ educational backgrounds, reflective practices, and identities as assessors from the micro-level. These factors were visualized in a synthesized framework that illustrates the complex social construction of LAL and its relationship with economic disparities. These findings offer practical implications for policymakers and teacher training institutions within China’s compulsory education system, highlighting the need to develop sustainable language assessment practices.