When inquiry is seen as resistance to change: expert teachers’ experiences with the implementation of portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA)

ABSTRACT Expert teachers’ experiences with the implementation of portfolio-based language assessment (PBLA) were analyzed through the conceptual framework of critical pedagogy. Serious practitioner concerns about mandatory PBLA implementation challenged the official narrative of PBLA as a progressive change. Through a close examination of three expert teachers’ experiences, this study illuminated the disconnect between the official interpretation of teachers’ “resistance to change,” and the critical inquiry-oriented stance of these practitioners. According to participants, PBLA policy and implementation rendered teachers voiceless in the top-down implementation process. The findings demonstrated that principles of critical language teacher education were neglected in PBLA design and implementation to the detriment of all stakeholders. The findings suggest that these principles may offer helpful guidance in designing and implementing productive educational change in language teaching and learning.