Teacher Perceptions of the Use of a Computer-Adaptive Test for Formative Purposes: Typologies of Practices

Abstract

The use of assessment for formative purposes has become a major component of assessment reforms in many educational systems due to its potential to provide important data for teacher-decision making to improve learning. However, there is yet a study with a robust objective measurement model to set up a continuum of teacher perceptions of the uses of a computer adaptive test (CAT) for enhancing formative practices. This study explores teachers’ perceptions of the potential use of an externally developed CAT, an assessment aimed to support the learning and teaching of English as an additional language (EAL). A Teacher Perception of the Use of CAT Scale (TPUCAT) was developed using both theoretical and empirical approaches to determine the indicators of the construct. A questionnaire, with sixpoint Likert type scale and 36 items were administered to EAL teachers in one state educational system in Australia. Using the Rasch item analysis, four statistically different possibilities of use for the CAT emerged from the data. These groupings of teachers were used to develop a typology of teachers’ perceptions of potential CAT use to support individual students in their learning. We establish that teachers’ perception about the use of CAT is varied, and hence present a professional development opportunity. Our study is the first to establish this typology of teacher perception, which is a critical contribution to the theorisation of assessment. This typology from basic to expert provides a better description of potential teacher uses of a CAT for formative purposes and allows for targeted professional development for teachers to ensure that CAT is optimised to support teacher practices and student learning