EFL Teachers’ Conceptions of Designing Classroom- Based Tests

An essential component of language instruction is classroom-based assessment, which is used to inform instructional decisions and gauge student progress. The current study explores how EFL teachers visualize developing classroom-based assessments at Debark Secondary Schools in the North Gondar Zone. The study employed a concurrent parallel mixed-methods design to investigate how educators develop their evaluation instruments. The study specifically examined how EFL teachers perceive the creation of teacher-constructed assessments in the classroom. Questionnaires were administered using comprehensive sampling, and samples for document analysis were chosen using Yemane’s (1967) technique. The results showed that teachers provided adequate preparation time and communicated test instructions, demonstrating thoughtful engagement in test design. However, the tests frequently lacked thoroughness in their structure because important language testing principles were not consistently implemented, test items were not weighted, and item types were narrowly defined. Given these results, the study suggests that teachers’ current methods can be improved through focused instruction in test development, with a focus on aligning their ideas with accepted language testing standards.