Innovatsiya 2021: dolzarb muammolar va zamonaviy yechim

LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ ASSESSMENT LITERACY: ALIGNING 
OBJECTIVES WITH ASSESSMENT 
 
Muradkasimova Kamola Shukhratovna
DSc Researcher
UzSWLU 
 
Due to the Presidential decree 18/75, on further improvement of foreign 
language teaching and learning, aimed at upbringing of highly educated, with broad-
outlook young generation, the new system of education was established in 
Uzbekistan. The main objective of the system is− improving the quality, 
accessibility, efficiency and strengthening the practical approach to education.
One of the biggest challenges while improving the quality of education is 
training teachers under new goals. These changes require and create urgent problem 
solving abilities of professionals in the system of education, including teachers’ 
competence, identifying their needs, practical skills, as well as in theory, and the 

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ability of competent evaluation of students. Testing Technologies are means of 
monitoring the quality of training and the level of sustainable achievements of 
students. It is argued that no matter how far the test can bring to objective evaluation 
results (traditional paper-pencil test), it may not be as useful for teaching and 
learning, as it has been expected.
The main aim of the assessment is not to frighten the students, but see their 
achievements. Some learners dread to take tests, and for some teachers it is hard job 
to design them. Given that teachers begin using new content, why not to start 
applying new assessment, because the aim of assessment is to see progressing 
evolution, and each educational stage gives a lot of possibilities to evaluate students’ 
understanding and progress. Teachers can vary the tools of assessment. Some can be 
in the form of quick checks or observations, like pop-quizzes; while others− be more 
formal like formative and summative assessments. The aim of any evaluation is to 
see what and how students have learned, (what techniques do they use), and whether 
they can apply these knowledge in real life or not.
Testing or assessing a student was just a process that we did not focus much on 
before, that was not in the first place. However, in recent past years the great focus 
was made on assessment literacy in teachers’ professional development. This 
definitely changed our attitude on the process. A lot of teachers dislike preparing and 
grading tests for exams, and most students are frightened taking them. “Many of 
today’s teachers know little about educational assessment. For some teachers, test is a 
four-letter word, both literally and figuratively” [4]. However, “tests are powerful 
educational tools that serve at least four functions”. [4].
The reason that today’s teachers know little about educational assessment and 
not all teachers are assessment literate is that for some teachers assessment is often a 
final consideration in their planning the curriculum, syllabus or lesson plan. This does 
not mean that teachers do not value the role or importance of assessment, just 
assessment stays at final stage in designing and teaching process. The primary 
concerns of academic staff are often with designing learning outcomes and planning 
teaching and learning activities that will produce these outcomes. In contrast, students 

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often work ‘backwards’ through the curriculum, focusing first on how they will be 
assessed and what they will be required to demonstrate. 
The most important questions that teachers think about before starting the 
course are: What is the indicative content of the course? What should students learn? 
What teaching and learning methods and approaches to use? What are the sources? 
Where to find the materials? and finally: how will student’s learning be assessed?
As, we see assessment stays at the final stage. Therefore, some misunderstanding, 
and problems can occur at the end of the course, because course objectives, tasks, 
materials, and assessment should be aligned with each other[6]. It is like a triangle. 
They can not be designed or planned separately. But unfortunately, we can observe 
this kind of situation. In real life situation, the last/final assessment usually is a 
“surprise” for learners, which they have not expected. This is what we mean by an 
assessment illiterate teacher. Students have a right to know what they are expected to 
do at the end of the course. However, for students it is a bit different. Assessment for 
students is usually the first-rate issue in the learning process. Interestingly, the first 
question that students think about is “in what way I am going to be assessed?, What 
do I need to know? What are learning objectives? What approaches will be used and 
which of them should I adopt?” [5] 
As we have analysed what is being an assessment literate teacher, the 
importance of evaluating students objectively and avoiding putting assessment into 
the final consideration in planning the lesson, we have to concentrate on the process 
of writing the course objectives. Hence, this is one of the important parts of aligning 
assessment with course objectives. As we mentioned above it is like a triangle, all 
parts are interconnected with each other and all are equal in terms of importance. 
Thus, the mentioned requirements are met, the main principles of assessment: 
practicality, reliability, authenticity, validity, and washback will be matched[3].
As an example we analyze one real life situation, where teacher had some problems 
in assessing students.