Language assessment literacy and EFL teaching practice: a systematic literature review

Assessment literacy encompasses teachers’ ability to understand and effectively apply assessment concepts, types, objectives, and strategies. It involves knowledge, skills, and competencies in the development and evaluation of classroom-based assessments and large-scale tests. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework for systematic review reporting and SPIDER for inclusion criteria, this systematic literature review investigated the implementation of language assessment literacy (LAL) in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching practice. It then analyzed the pedagogical implications in EFL classroom contexts. The review examined studies indexed in Scopus and Web of Science and focused on articles published between 2014 and 2024. The SPIDER framework was employed, and after screening, 23 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were selected. The analysis revealed that the implementation of LAL in the EFL context is dynamic, shaped by social, institutional, and governmental regulations. Teachers must constantly navigate between the education system, their pedagogical goals, and students’ learning needs. Effective enactment of LAL requires equity-oriented, context-sensitive assessment practices that support differentiated learning and foster student engagement.