Teacher Involvement in High-Stakes Language Testing

Daniel Xerri is a Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Malta, and the Chairperson of theELT Council within the Ministry for Education and Employment in Malta. He sits onIATEFL’s Conference Committee and on TESOL International Association’s ResearchProfessional Council. Between 2015 and 2017, he was the Joint Co-ordinator of the IATEFLResearch SIG. Xerri holds postgraduate degrees in English and Applied Linguistics, as well asa PhD in Education from the University of York. He is the author of many publications ondifferent areas of education, assessment and TESOL, including articles published in ELTJournal, English in Education, and International Journal of Research and Method inEducation. Further details about his work can be found at: www.danielxerri.comPatricia Vella Briffa currently teaches at the University of Malta Junior College. She hastaught English to learners at various stages of language learning for general, specific,examination, or academic purposes. She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham.Her research interests include language teaching and assessment. She was engaged in thedesign of a speaking component in the MATSEC ‘A’ level English examination, which wasawarded the Innovation in Assessment Prize by the British Council in 2014.

• 1. Introduction.- PART 1: Benefits and Challenges of Teacher Involvement in High-stakes Language Testing.- 2. The Role of Classroom Teachers in Standard Setting and Benchmarking.- 3. A Critical Analysis of Teacher Involvement in the English Language Paper of the First School Leaving Certificate Examination (FSLC) in Cameroon.- 4. Potentials and Challenges of Teacher Involvement in Rating Scale Design for High-stakes Exams.- 5. Am I Just Stupid? Key Issues for Teachers Involved in High-stakes Testing with Children who have Dyslexia.- PART 2: Assessment Literacy for/through Teacher Involvement in High-stakes Language Testing.- 6. Are Teachers Given Sufficient Tools as Examiners in the New Foreign Language Speaking Component of the French Baccalauréat?.- 7. Assessment Literacy for Teachers: A Pilot Study Investigating the Challenges, Benefits and Impact of Assessment Literacy Training.- 8. Teachers as Testers: The Case of EOI Teachers in Galicia, Spain.- 9. Teachers Setting the Assessment (Literacy) Agenda: A Case Study of a Teacher-Led National Test Development Project in Luxembourg.- 10. Fostering Language Assessment Literacy Through Teacher Involvement in High-stakes Test Development.- PART 3: Perceptions and Beliefs in Relation to Teacher Involvement in High-stakes Language Testing.- 11. Teacher-examiners’ Explicit and Enacted Beliefs about Proficiency Indicators in National Oral Assessments.- 12. Expatriate High School English Teachers’ Experiences with Entrance Examination Creation in Japan: Opportunities and Challenges.- 13. English Language Teachers’ Perceptions of Involvement in High-stakes Testing in Turkey.- 14. Teacher Involvement in the Russian National Exam in Foreign Languages: Experience and Perspectives.- 15. Teachers’ Voices in the Decision to Discontinue a Public Examination Reform: Washback Effects and Implications for Utilizing Tests as Levers for Change.- 16. A Survey of English Language Testing Practices in China: Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives.- 17. An Experienced EFL Teacher’s Perception of High-stakes English Language Tests and Beliefs about Language Teaching: A Case Study.- 18. Examining Washback in EFL Multi-exam Preparation Classes in Greece: A Focus on Teachers’ Teaching Practices.- 19. Conclusion.