1. Introduction

This chapter introduces the importance of teachers' language assessment literacy (LAL) and the relatively limited exploration of teacher assessment identity in LAL scholarship. It also outlines the qualitative case study that aims to investigate the construction process of novice university English teachers' assessment identity in the Chinese context. The study is expected to contribute to knowledge of teacher assessment identity and provide implications for the development of teacher-assessor identity in language assessment practices.

2. Literature Review

This chapter discusses the key concepts related to teachers' assessment identity, including the development process, components, types, and methods for obtaining assessment identity. Researchers have validated scales to measure teacher assessment identity and identified different types and stages of identity development. The chapter also highlights the need for further empirical studies aligning the construction of teachers' assessment identity with their assessment literacy development. This chapter lays the groundwork for examining the complex construction process of novice university English teachers' assessment identity in the Chinese context.

3. Methodology

The research context and participants of the study are outlined, detailing the two novice university English teachers involved and the assessment requirements they faced. Data collection methods, including narrative frames, interviews, focus group interviews, and field observations, are described. The data analysis process is explained, which involved qualitative inductive analysis of the collected data in order to identify themes related to the participants' assessment identities. Trustworthiness of the study was ensured through independent coding and discussions between the authors.

4. Findings

Rachel's first attempt at peer assessment was successful and was welcomed by both her and her students. She reflected on the problems and envisioned further strategies to consolidate this method, upgrading the assessment criteria for group presentations. While she enhanced her knowledge and skills in alternative assessment methods, Rachel still had uncertainty about her assessment identity and preferred to recognize herself as an instructor more than an assessor.

5. Discussion

This chapter discussed the construction of assessment identity of two novice university English teachers and their daily assessment practices. The participants’ multiple identities were influenced by their prior assessment experiences, conceptions of language assessment, and institutional requirements. It was found that these two participants initially did not recognize their identity as an assessor. However, as they became engaged in assessment practices and increased their awareness and conceptual knowledge, their perceived assessment identity changed. The study also showed that the novice university English instructors underwent different trajectories in constructing their assessment identity. The findings imply that university English teachers’ construction of assessment identity is juxtaposed with their LAL development. Overall, the construction of novice university English teachers’ assessment identity runs parallel to their LAL development and involves institutional contexts and personal dispositions. This makes the identity construction become iterative and complicated.

6. Conclusion and Implications

This chapter discusses the contribution of the study to understanding the assessment identity construction of novice university English teachers and their professional development in language testing and assessment. It reveals that novice EFL teachers follow idiosyncratic trajectories in building their assessment identity, influenced by their individual experiences in assessment learning and enactment, and the extent of their language assessment literacy (LAL) development. The study also provides implications for teacher education and professional development, suggesting that novice university English teachers need to reflect upon what an assessor identity denotes, and that universities or departments should provide sufficient support or resources to help novice university English teachers understand assessment requirements and implementations at the beginning of their teaching careers. With an agentive and reflective mind and institutional support, novice university English teachers can (re)construct their assessment identity, create new meanings in their assessment practices, and develop their LAL simultaneously.