Writing Assessment Literacy: Strategy Development Among Iranian EFL Teachers

This study employed a grounded theory methodology to conceptualize the Writing Assessment Literacy (WAL) of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors in Iran. The research design consisted of two sequential phases. Initially, insights from a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with ten assessment experts were synthesized to develop a robust interview protocol. This instrument was subsequently employed to conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 40 EFL teachers from Iranian language institutes. The data were analyzed through a systematic thematic analysis, employing both open and axial coding procedures, which were conducted manually and supported by NVivo software (version 10). The analysis led to the discovery of the core constructs of WAL strategies deployed by Iranian EFL teachers and the principal challenges they encounter in writing assessment practices. The findings hold significant implications for teacher professional development, suggesting pathways to enhance writing assessment literacy and refine pedagogical training in second language (L2) writing instruction within EFL contexts.