DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.20961

Published:

2024-11-25

Issue:

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2024): CALJ : july-december

Section:

Research Articles

Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning

EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice

Consolidando una cultura de evaluación para el aprendizajea de Inglés

Authors

  • Edgar Picón-Jácome Universidad de Antioquia
  • Juan Carlos Montoya López Universidad de Antioquia

Keywords:

agencia, apropiación de la política, comunidades de práctica, evaluación para el aprendizaje, formación docente (es).

Keywords:

policy appropriation, Assessment for Learning (AFL)., community of practice, Assessment literacy, teacher agency (en).

Downloads

Abstract (en)

This participatory action research study inquired about EFL teachers’ appropriation of a language education policy through a virtual community of practice on language assessment literacies. From a critical sociocultural perspective, the participants’ appropriation was studied aiming at understanding how their discourses and praxes embraced an AfL culture. During the process, teachers inquired and reflected on their lived experiences as they judged the system’s rationality, sustainability, and justice. The analysis yielded evidence of the consolidation of the policy through five main findings: (1) The community unlocked space for the participants to develop understandings and propose actions. (2) They openly debated their interpretations of the system tenets and shared their practical knowledge. (3) In doing so, they tested their knowledge, beliefs, and self-declared purposes against the official assessment policy. (4) The interactions permitted to infer their internalization of assessment as a socially constructed practice. (5) The learning gained throughout the process allowed for the adjustment of the evaluation system to maximize its practicality and positive impact.

Abstract (es)

Esta investigación-acción participativa indagó sobre la apropiación de una política de inglés como lengua extranjera, por parte de profesores de inglés como lengua extranjera, a través de una comunidad virtual de práctica sobre desarrollo profesional en evaluación. Desde una perspectiva sociocultural crítica, se analizó la apropiación de los participantes para comprender cómo sus discursos y praxis incorporan una cultura de la evaluación-para-el-aprendizaje. Los profesores indagaron y reflexionaron sobre sus experiencias vividas mientras evaluaban la racionalidad, sostenibilidad y justicia del sistema. El análisis aportó pruebas que confirman la consolidación de una cultura de evaluación-para-el-aprendizaje, a través de cinco hallazgos principales: (1) Se abrió un espacio para que los participantes desarrollaran entendimientos y propusieran acciones. (2) Los profesores debatieron abiertamente sobre sus interpretaciones de los principios del sistema y compartieron sus conocimientos prácticos. (3) Al hacerlo, pusieron a prueba sus conocimientos, creencias y propósitos auto declarados frente a la política de evaluación oficial. (4) Sus interacciones permitieron inferir una interiorización de la evaluación como práctica socialmente construida. (5) El aprendizaje obtenido en la comunidad permitió ajustar el sistema de evaluación para maximizar su viabilidad e impacto positivo.

Author Biography

Juan Carlos Montoya López, Universidad de Antioquia

Juan Carlos Montoya holds a Master’s degree in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning from Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. Currently, he works at the School of Languages of the same university both as an EFL instructor and as a tutor at its Center for Multiliteracies. He is also a member of the GIAE research group in which he works in the areas of language policy and intercultural education.

References

Arias, C. I., Maturana, L., & Restrepo, M. I. (2012). Evaluación de los aprendizajes en lenguas extranjeras: hacia prácticas justas y democráticas. Lenguaje, 40(1), 99–126. https://doi.org/10.25100/lenguaje.v40i1.4945

Atkinson, D. (2013). Language learning in mindbodyworld: A sociocognitive approach to second language acquisition. Language Teaching, 1–17. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-teaching/article/abs/language-learning-in-mindbodyworld-a-sociocognitive-approach-to-second-language-acquisition/F8F022E944921041EE09639D69302694

Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in practice. Oxford University Press.

Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.1

Birenbaum, M. (2014). Conceptualizing assessment culture in school. In Designing assessment for quality learning (pp. 285–302). DOI:10.1007/978-94-007-5902-2_18

Birenbaum, M., DeLuca, C., Earl, L., Heritage, M., Klenowski, V., Looney, A., Smith, K., Timperley, H., Volante, L. & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2015). International trends in the implementation of assessment for learning: Implications for policy and practice. Policy Futures in Education, 13(1), 117–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210314566733

Benson, P. (1997). The philosophy and politics of learner autonomy. In P. Benson & P. Voller (Eds.), Autonomy and independence in language learning (pp. 18-34). Longman.

Brown, D. H. (2004). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices. Longman.

Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge University Press.

Chevalier, J. M. & Buckles, D. J. (2019). Participatory action research: theory and methods for engaged inquiry (Second Edition). Taylor & Francis Group.

Contreras, J. D. (2016). Relatos de experiencia. En busca de un saber pedagógico. Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa (Auto) Biográfica, 1(1), 14–30. https://doi.org/10.31892/rbpab2525-426X.2016.v1.n1.p14-30

Coombe, C., Vafadar, H. & Mohebbi, H. (2020). Language assessment literacy: what do we need to learn, unlearn, and relearn? Lang Test Asia 10(3), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-020-00101-6

Council of Europe. (2001). The common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. In Council of Europe. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190514000221

Darvin, R. & Norton, B. (2015). Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, 36–56. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190514000191

de Chazal, E. (2014). English for Academic Purposes. Oxford University Press.

Earl, L. (2006). Assessment - A powerful lever for learning. Brock Education Journal, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.26522/brocked.v16i1.29

Earl, L. (2013). A Review of Assessment as Learning: Using Classroom Assessment to Maximize Student Learning (2nd ed.). Corwin Press.

Feola, S., Lemons, P.P., Loertscher. J. A., Minderhout, V., &Lewis, J. E. (2022). Assessor in action: assessment literacy development in a biochemistry context. Chemistry Education. Research and Practice, 24, 914-937. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2rp00334a

Glassman, M. & Erdem, G. (2014). Participatory action research and its meanings: Vivencia, praxis, conscientization. Adult Education Quarterly, 64(3), 206–221. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741713614523667

Gipps, C. (1999). Socio-cultural aspects of assessment. Review of Research in Education, 24(1), 355-392. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732x024001355

Gipps, C. (2002). Sociocultural perspectives on assessment. In W. Gordon & G. Claxton (Eds.), Learning for life in the 21st century: Sociocultural perspectives of the future of education (pp. 73-84). Blackwell Publishers ltd.

Heck, R. H. (2004). Studying educational and social policy: Theoretical concepts and research methods. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410610430

Inbar-Lourie, O. (2008a). Constructing a language assessment knowledge base: A focus on language assessment courses. Language Testing, 25(3), 385–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532208090158

Inbar-Lourie, O. (2008b). Language assessment culture. In E. Shohamy & N. H. Hornberger (Eds.), Encyclopedia of language and education (pp. 285-300). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-30424-3_182

Inbar-Lourie, O (2017). Language assessment literacy. En E. Shohamy, I. G. Or y S. May (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education, Vol 7 (3a., pp. 257–270). Springer. https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-3-319-02261-1

Johnson, D. C. & Johnson, E. J. (2014). Power and agency in language policy appropriation. Springer, 14(3), 221–243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-014-9333-z

Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733062

Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R. & Nixon, R. (2014). Action research planner book: Doing critical participatory action research. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-4560-67-2

Khalid, F., Joyes, G., Ellison, L. & Karim, A. (2013). Teachers’ involvement in communities of practice: An implication with regard to the current approach of teachers’ professional development in Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 9(16 SPL), 102–111. https://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v9n16p102

Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003). Beyond methods: Macrostrategies for language teaching (J. Schier, Ed.). Yale University Press.

Lamb, T. (2010). Assessment of autonomy or assessment for autonomy? Evaluating learner autonomy for formative purposes. In A. Paran & L. Sercu (Eds.). Testing the untestable in language education (pp. 98–119). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847692672

Larrosa, J. (2009). Experiencia y alteridad en educación. En C. Skliar y J. Larrosa (Compiladores), Experiencia y alteridad en educación (pp. 13–44). Homo Sapiens. https://plyse.flacso.org.ar/publicaciones/experiencia-y-alteridad-en-educacion/

Lasky, S. (2005). A sociocultural approach to understanding teacher identity, agency, and professional vulnerability in a context of secondary school reform. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(8), 899–916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2005.06.003

Levinson, B. & Sutton, M. (2001). Introduction: Policy as/in practice- a sociocultural approach to the study of educational policy. In M. Sutton & B. Levinson (Eds.), Policy as practice: Toward a comparative sociocultural analysis of educational policy (Vol. 1, pp. 1–22). Ablex Publishing.

Levinson, B., Sutton, M. & Winstead, T. (2009). Education policy as a practice of power: Theoretical tools, ethnographic methods, democratic options. Educational Policy, 23(6), 767–795. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904808320676

Levinson, B., Winstead, T. & Sutton, M. (2020). An anthropological approach to education policy as a practice of power: Concepts and methods. In G. Fan & T. S. Popkewitz (Eds.), Handbook of Education Policy Studies: Values, Governance, Globalization, and Methodology, V1 (Issue September, pp. 1–414). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8347-2

Looi, C.-K., Lim, W.-Y. & Chen, W. (2008). Communities of practice for continuing professional development in the twenty-first century. In International handbook of information technology in primary and secondary education (pp. 489–505). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73315-9_30

Min, H., Noh, H. J., & Paik, S. (2017). Communities of Practice for Student Assessment in a South Korean Middle School. Eurasia journal of mathematics, science and technology education, 13(10), 6369-6394. https://doi.org/10.12973/EJMSTE/77106

McCarty, T. L. & May, S. (2017). Volume editor’s introduction to “Language Policy and Political Issues in Education.” In T. L. McCarty & S. May (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education (pp. ix–xx). Springer.

Miranda, N., Berdugo, M. & Tejada, H. (2016). Conflicting views on language policy and planning at a Colombian university. Current Issues in Language Planning, 4208(July). https://doi.org/10.1080/14664208.2016.1204052

Morales, M. P. E. (2016). Participatory action research (PAR) cum action research (AR) in teacher professional development: A literature review. International Journal of Research in Education and Science, 2(1), 156–165. https://doi.org/10.21890/ijres.01395

Paredes-Mendez, L., Troncoso-Rodríguez, I. A. & Lastra-Ramírez, S. P. (2021). Enacting agency and valuing rural identity by exploring local communities in the English class. PROFILE, Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 23(1), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v23n1.85984

Peláez, O. & Usma, J. (2017). The crucial role of educational stakeholders in the appropriation of foreign language education policies: A case study. PROFILE, Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 19(2), 121–134. https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v19n2.57215

Picón-Jácome, E. (2012). Promoting learner autonomy through teacher-student partnership assessment in an American high school: A cycle of action research. PROFILE: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 14 (2), 145-162. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile/article/view/34070/34217

Picón-Jácome, E. (2013). La rúbrica y la justicia en la evaluación. Íkala, 18 (3), 79–94. https:// aprendeenlinea.udea.edu.co/revistas/index.php/ ikala/article/view/14080

Picón-Jácome, E. (2021). Profesor y portafolio en la consolidación de una cultura de la evaluación- como-aprendizaje. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 23(2), 213-228. https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.16004

Poehner, M. E., Davin, K. J. y Lantolf, J. P. (2017). Dynamic assessment. En E. Shohamy, I. G. Or y S. May (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education, Vol 7 (3a., pp. 243–256). Springer. https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-3-319-02261-1

Quintero, A. H. & Guerrero, C. H. (2013). “Of Being and Not Being:” Colombian public elementary school teachers’ oscillating identities. HOW, 20(1), 190-205. https://howjournalcolombia.org/index.php/how/article/view/30

Quiroz, A., Velásquez, A.M., García, B.E., González, S.P. (2002). Técnicas interactivas para la investigación social cualitativa. Fundación Universitaria Luis Amigó (FUNLAM). https://evalparticipativa.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/33.-Tecnicas-interactivas-investigacion-social-cualitativa-1.pdf

Reaburn, P. & McDonald, J. (2017). Creating and facilitating communities of practice in higher education: Theory to practice in a regional Australian university. In Communities of practice (Issue April, pp. 121–150). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2879-3_6

Scarino, A. (2017). Culture and language assessment. En E. Shohamy, I. G. Or y S. May (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Language and Education, Vol 7 (3a., pp. 15–32). Springer. https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-3-319-02261-1

Selener, D. (1997). Participatory action research and social change. The Cornell Participatory Action Research Network.

Shohamy, E. (2009). Language teachers as partners in crafting educational language policies? Ikala, 14(22), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.2633

Shohamy, E., & Inbar, O. (2006). The language assessment process: A “multiplism” perspective. CALPER (Professional Development Document 0603). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University, Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research.

Sundusiyah, A. (2019). Language policy rationales, appropriation, and debates: A case of English as medium of instruction in Indonesia’s international-standard schools. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh].

Universidad de Antioquia. (2014). Acuerdo Académico 467 del 04 de diciembre de 2014. https://www.udea.edu.co/wps/wcm/connect/udea/3998a7c2-8f9b-47d3-b9b6-6fe27fe96d45/+Acad%C3%A9mico+467+pol%C3%ADtica+de+competencia+en+lengua+extranjera.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

Usma, J. (2015). From transnational language policy transfer to local appropriation: The case of the National Bilingual Program in Medellin, Colombia. Deep University Press.

Usma, J., Ortiz, J. M., & Gutiérrez, C. (2018). Indigenous Students Learning English in Higher Education: What Are the Challenges? Íkala, 23(2), 229–254. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v23n02a03

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Wenger, E. (2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization, 7(2), 225–246.

Wiley, T. G. & García, O. (2016). Language Policy and Planning in Language Education: Legacies, Consequences, and Possibilities. Modern Language Journal, 100, 48–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12303

Wiliam, D. (2011). What is assessment for learning? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 37(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2011.03.001

How to Cite

APA

Picón-Jácome, E., and Montoya López, J. C. (2024). Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 26(2), 102–117. https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.20961

ACM

[1]
Picón-Jácome, E. and Montoya López, J.C. 2024. Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal. 26, 2 (Nov. 2024), 102–117. DOI:https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.20961.

ACS

(1)
Picón-Jácome, E.; Montoya López, J. C. Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice. Colomb. appl. linguist. j 2024, 26, 102-117.

ABNT

PICÓN-JÁCOME, Edgar; MONTOYA LÓPEZ, Juan Carlos. Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, [S. l.], v. 26, n. 2, p. 102–117, 2024. DOI: 10.14483/22487085.20961. Disponível em: https://revistas.udistrital.edu.co/index.php/calj/article/view/20961. Acesso em: 11 mar. 2025.

Chicago

Picón-Jácome, Edgar, and Juan Carlos Montoya López. 2024. “Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice”. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal 26 (2):102-17. https://doi.org/10.14483/22487085.20961.

Harvard

Picón-Jácome, E. and Montoya López, J. C. (2024) “Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice”, Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 26(2), pp. 102–117. doi: 10.14483/22487085.20961.

IEEE

[1]
E. Picón-Jácome and J. C. Montoya López, “Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice”, Colomb. appl. linguist. j, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 102–117, Nov. 2024.

MLA

Picón-Jácome, Edgar, and Juan Carlos Montoya López. “Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice”. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, Nov. 2024, pp. 102-17, doi:10.14483/22487085.20961.

Turabian

Picón-Jácome, Edgar, and Juan Carlos Montoya López. “Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice”. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal 26, no. 2 (November 25, 2024): 102–117. Accessed March 11, 2025. https://revistas.udistrital.edu.co/index.php/calj/article/view/20961.

Vancouver

1.
Picón-Jácome E, Montoya López JC. Consolidating a Culture of Assessment for Learning: EFL Teachers’ Appropriation of an Assessment Policy through a Virtual Community of Practice. Colomb. appl. linguist. j [Internet]. 2024 Nov. 25 [cited 2025 Mar. 11];26(2):102-17. Available from: https://revistas.udistrital.edu.co/index.php/calj/article/view/20961

Download Citation

Visitas

53

Dimensions


PlumX


Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Publication Facts

Metric
This article
Other articles
Peer reviewers 
3
2.4

Reviewer profiles  N/A

Author statements

Author statements
This article
Other articles
Data availability 
N/A
16%
External funding 
No
32%
Competing interests 
N/A
11%
Metric
This journal
Other journals
Articles accepted 
48%
33%
Days to publication 
531
145

Indexed in

Editor & editorial board
profiles
Academic society 
N/A
Loading...