ASSESSMENT LITERACY AMONG ESP TEACHERS: CHALLENGES IN DESIGNING COMMUNICATIVE AND PERFORMANCE-BASED TESTS

Abstract

Assessment literacy has become an essential component of effective language teaching, particularly in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) contexts where assessment is expected to reflect real-world communicative and professional demands. However, many ESP teachers continue to experience difficulties in designing communicative and performance-based assessments aligned with key language testing principles. This study investigates the challenges ESP teachers face in developing authentic and reliable assessment tasks for adult learners. Using a qualitative and analytical approach, the study examines teachers’ understanding of assessment principles, including validity, reliability, authenticity, and practicality, as well as the factors influencing their assessment practices. The findings indicate that limited assessment literacy, institutional constraints, and insufficient training often lead teachers to rely on traditional testing methods rather than communicative and performance-oriented assessment formats. The study highlights the need for greater professional development in assessment design and proposes a principle-based perspective for improving assessment literacy in ESP education.