EXPLORING CONFIDENCE AND INFLUENCING FACTORS IN VIETNAMESE PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT LITERACY WITHIN THE CURRICULUM INNOVATION

Tóm tắt

Language assessment literacy (LAL) is a foundational competency for pre-service English teachers, particularly in the context of Vietnam’s Curriculum 2018, which emphasises learner-centred approaches and balanced formative and summative assessment. This study explores Vietnamese pre-service teachers’ self-perceived confidence in LAL and the factors that influence it. Data were collected through a mixed-methods design that included a validated questionnaire administered to 103 participants and semi-structured interviews with eight purposefully selected individuals representing different levels of teaching experience and assessment training. Quantitative findings indicate that participants generally expressed high confidence in their assessment knowledge and skills, while qualitative analysis reveals that their beliefs and reported practices were broadly aligned with the learner-centred assessment principles advocated by the new curriculum. Notably, the study also identifies teaching experience and formal training as the most significant influences on assessment confidence, revealing the interaction between personal and contextual factors that may both support and challenge practical implementation. This study’s novelty lies in its initial mapping of LAL within the specific context of Curriculum 2018, providing new insights into the readiness of future English teachers in Vietnam. These findings extend previous research and offer actionable insights for strengthening teacher education in Vietnam and similar contexts.