Language Assessment in Pakistan: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Teachers’ Perceptions, Practices and Challenges
Keywords:
language assessment, assessment literacy, teacher cognition, TALiP, PRISMA, English language learningAbstract
Language assessment literacy (LAL) has emerged as a crucial competence for English language teachers worldwide. In Pakistan, an exam-driven system and resource constraints create distinctive conditions that merit systematic synthesis. This study systematically reviews how English language teachers in Pakistan perceive and practice assessment and the challenges they face. To our knowledge, this is the first PRISMA-guided systematic synthesis of research on English language teachers’ assessment perceptions, practices, and challenges in Pakistan. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Pakistani national journals for English language studies published between 1989 and 2024. After duplicate removal, 210 records were screened; 58 full texts were assessed; and 32 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies were coded against the Teacher Assessment Literacy in Practice (TALiP) model (Xu & Brown, 2016) and the teacher cognition framework (Borg, 2015). Findings indicate that teachers predominantly equated assessment with summative examinations, while formative and authentic assessment remained limited. Practices often reproduced high-stakes examination formats, with insufficient attention to speaking and listening skills. Limited professional preparation for LAL, strong washback from board examinations, and persistent concerns about fairness and validity constrained pedagogical innovation. Although portfolios and peer assessment appeared in some better-resourced settings, wider adoption remained limited. Overall, Pakistani teachers’ assessment practices remain exam-centric and shaped by systemic constraints and entrenched beliefs. Strengthening LAL therefore requires context-sensitive professional development alongside examination reform that promotes communicative competence, fairness, and meaningful learning.
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