Training 21st Century English Language Teachers in Turkish Context: Development of a Technology-Enhanced Measurement Curriculum

Abstract

A case study that included 26 English Language teacher candidates was designed to develop an evidence-based measurement curriculum in Turkey, examining teacher candidates' experiences on the newly developed course and taking remedial actions to update the syllabus if needed. Data was collected using multiple sources: a pre-course survey, a weekly discussion board on Edmodo and a post-course survey. Survey data obtained from rating-scale items was analyzed using descriptive statistics and data visualization packages embedded in R. Open-ended survey data and discussion board data were content-analyzed using MaxQDA software. The results revealed that students had limited awareness regarding assessment for learning concepts and digital tools that could be used for assessment for learning purposes at the beginning of the course. Course content, in-class activities and projects helped them develop hands-on skills in developing sound language assessments as well as raised their awareness with respect to the importance of computer-based language assessment.