Teacher beliefs about e-assessment for learning in English as a foreign language writing: an ecological perspective

Despite the growing emphasis on technology-enhanced assessment, little is known about how primary English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers develop their beliefs about e-assessment for learning (E-AfL) in writing. Adopting ecological systems theory, the study examines whether and how primary EFL teachers’ beliefs about E-AfL strategies in writing change during a one-year collaborative teacher professional development program (CTPDP) in China, and explores the interactions among contextual layers that influence these beliefs. Focusing on two focal teachers, the collective case study collected data through semi-structured interviews, teacher reflections, observation field notes, informal exchanges, and documents. The findings reveal that although both teachers experienced positive belief changes regarding E-AfL in writing, these changes differed between student-led and teacher-led strategies. These differences were also shaped by the distinct affordances of the e-assessment tools employed, such as learning management system (LMS)-facilitated self- and peer assessment, archived feedback, and automated score tracking. The findings also suggest that the teachers’ belief changes were influenced by the interaction of multiple ecological layers—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem. Importantly, the study illustrates how a CTPDP can activate cross-system synergies to drive belief change. As such, it highlights the effectiveness of collaborative teacher development as a sustainable alternative to traditional top-down professional development approaches.