Classroom-based assessment in TEFL as a form of formative assessment: Enquiries into theory and practice

Abstract

Closely related to the concept of formative assessment, classroom-based assessment (CBA) has received increasing attention from education researchers and policy makers worldwide. Despite being hailed as an innovative departure from traditional standardized testing, CBA has often been criticized for the lack of research-based evidence to support its purported benefits. This raises concerns about the reliability, validity, and practicality of this approach in mainstream education. By reviewing recent literature on CBA and its application in TEFL classrooms, this article seeks to understand how CBA theory translates into practice and identify potential discrepancies between its claimed advantages and measured efficiency. The discrepancies observed are primarily attributed to teacher assessment identity. Consequently, I propose a CBA literacy model which improves teachers and students’ assessment capability in classroom contexts.