VIETTESOL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2025

Learning-oriented assessment (LOA) has emerged as a significant trend in modern language assessment, undergoing continuous refinement and now supported by a well-established body of research. This study examines the application of various dimensions of Purpura's (2022) Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) framework within the context of a Language Assessment (LA) course for pre-service English teachers in Vietnam. Aiming to address the gap in applying LOA in core teacher training courses in general and language assessment courses at the tertiary level in Vietnam in particular, an explanatory sequential mixed-method research design was employed. Specifically, a questionnaire with five-point Likert type scale and 58 items was first conducted with 130 students who are pre-service teachers at the University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) and studied the LA course in 2024 to elaborate their perspectives on the level of eight LOA dimensions integrated in the LA course assessment activities. In addition, semi-structured interviews with seven students were then employed to further explore their reasons for negative perceptions in the survey results. The findings reveal that students perceive varying degrees of clarity in the realization of LOA dimensions in terms of assessment tasks. While socio-interaction and proficiency dimensions are perceived to be generally well-integrated, the interviewed students report some slight inconsistencies in other dimensions. The findings underscore the importance of revising the LA course to adjust and improve some perceived problems in the LA course to foster a higher level of pre-service teachers’ language assessment competence. Accordingly, some measures to embed modern technology and better instruction procedures in designing assessments have been suggested to be included in future course revisions.