Moving Toward Learning-Oriented Assessment: Insights from Thai EFL Contexts

Abstract

Assessment shapes what teachers prioritize, how learners study, and how institutions define success. Yet in many EFL contexts, including Thailand, assessment practices remain heavily influenced by high-stakes, CEFR-aligned proficiency tests that exert strong washback on teaching and learning. Recent policy directions requiring university students to take standardized or in-house CEFR-referenced tests have intensified this pressure, often shifting instructional attention toward test preparation and away from ongoing learning. Considering this backdrop, Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) offers a productive approach by positioning assessment as a continuous process embedded within classroom interaction. This article examines LOA through four core principles: tasks as learning opportunities, active learner agency, feedback-for-action, and ecological integration, and discusses how these principles can guide English language instruction. Drawing on empirical evidence from Thai EFL studies, the article illustrates how LOA can enhance reading, speaking, and writing development by strengthening coherence between instruction, assessment, and learner engagement. These studies show that LOA can promote deeper learning, build evaluative judgment, and support learner autonomy, while also highlighting persistent challenges such as teacher workload, peer-feedback reliability, limited class time, and restricted digital infrastructures. The article concludes by outlining practical strategies for teachers, learners, and institutions, and by identifying future directions for research and practice. In particular, it underscores the need for digital tools capable of tracking learners’ engagement with feedback, which remain underdeveloped but crucial for advancing LOA implementation. Overall, the article demonstrates how LOA can contribute to more meaningful, transparent, and learning-focused English instruction in exam-driven EFL contexts.