Developing a Contextualized Knowledge Framework for Primary School English Teachers’ Assessment Competence in China

Abstract

Amid China’s competency-oriented education reform and the implementation of the 2022 Compulsory Education English Curriculum Standards, primary school English teachers are increasingly required to demonstrate comprehensive assessment competence encompassing knowledge, skills, and attitude. As the cognitive foundation of this competence, assessment knowledge determines teachers’ capacity to interpret policy requirements, design curriculum-aligned assessments, and implement principles effectively in practice. Yet existing international assessment competence frameworks remain insufficiently aligned with China’s policy environment and young learners’ developmental characteristics, leaving a theoretical and practical gap. Drawing on Spencer and Spencer’s Iceberg Competence Model and Xu and Brown’s Teacher Assessment Literacy in Practice (TALiP) framework, this article proposes a contextualized knowledge framework tailored to Chinese primary school English education. Through theoretical synthesis, policy text analysis, and integration of empirical findings, the article identifies seven interrelated knowledge elements—disciplinary and pedagogical content knowledge; assessment purposes, content, and methods; grading; feedback; result interpretation and communication; student involvement; and ethics—each localized to reflect national mandates and classroom realities. The article contributes a novel, systematically localized framework that bridges international theory with China’s educational context, offering conceptual clarification and practical guidance for teacher education, curriculum implementation, and policy development.