Assessment Competence: Teachers’ Perspectives and an Analysis of Existing Challenges in Uzbekistan

Learner assessment is an integral component of the foreign-language teaching and learning process and a powerful decision-making instrument; yet teachers in higher education institutions are frequently not trained sufficiently to make assessment decisions consistent with the core principles of sound assessment.
The aim of this study is to examine English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of student assessment, to identify the existing gaps in their assessment training, and to propose recommendations for closing these gaps. To achieve this aim, the study set the following tasks: to determine the methods of assessment teachers actually use; to establish the extent to which their assessment is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR); and to elicit teachers’ views on final and exit examinations.
A mixed-methods design was employed. The qualitative strand explored teachers’ perceptions and beliefs about assessment, while the quantitative strand used a test built around authentic, contextualized scenarios to profile teachers’ competence. Data were collected from 120 EFL teachers at three language universities in Uzbekistan through structured interviews.
The results reveal, first, the teachers’ language assessment literacy (LAL) profile and, second, a markedly stronger need for training in assessment practice than in assessment theory a pattern explained by the gap between subject-matter knowledge and the pedagogy of assessment. Teachers rely heavily on informal, participation-based formative assessment and demonstrate limited experience in aligning assessment with the CEFR.
The study concludes that consistency in teachers’ assessment literacy can be achieved through purpose-built courses centred on classroom assessment practice, organized hierarchically so that pre-service programmes build subject knowledge and in-service programmes develop assessment pedagogy.