Critical Issues of Learning-Oriented Assessment Among Iranian EFL Teachers: Perceptions, Limitations and Challenges

The present study aimed to investigate Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions about critical issues of LOA using a mixed- methods design. To this end, a 35-item questionnaire for investigating perceptions towards LOA was designed and validated. A group of 213 high school EFL teachers in Torbat-e Heidarieh and Mashhad were selected based on simple random sampling as the main participants of the study, and 57 EFL teachers were selected to participate in semi-structured interviews to triangulate the results obtained from the questionnaire. The data obtained through the questionnaire were analyzed using different methods of analysis. First, Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to confirm the construct validity of the questionnaire. It included seven subcategories: contextual, affective, interactional, instructional, learning, proficiency, and elicitation. Second, the data were analyzed using SPSS software- using frequencies and percentages, computing independent sample t-test and Pearson Correlation. The results indicated that females had a more positive view than males towards the use of LOA in Iranian language classes. Positive relationship was found between teachers' age and their perceptions of LOA. The results indicated significant relationship between teaching experience and attitude of LOA. The qualitative findings of semi-structured interviews supported those of the questionnaire, revealing that the vast majority of EFL teachers believed that the use of LOA was advantageous and productive. These results have implications for L2 teachers and teacher trainers.