Demystifying the Emotional Terrain of Language Assessment Literacy: A Transcendental Phenomenology of Iranian EFL Teachers'™ Perceptions and Challenges

In the past couple of years, the emotive aspect of language assessment literacy has not received adequate scholarly prominence despite the growing body of inquiry on the subject. In an attempt to address the mentioned lacuna, this study explored the perceptions of 15 Iranian EFL teachers on the emotional dimension of language assessment literacy (ELAL). By implementing a qualitative transcendental phenomenology design, the content and thematic analysis of the data accumulated through semi-structured interviews and focus groups revealed important themes that advocated for a paradigmatic reform from the traditional technocratic perspective of LAL to a more in-depth humanistic and emotionally attuned framework. The findings conceptualized ELAL as an emotionally inclusive practice involving significant competencies such as empathy, resilience, critical reflection, emotional regulation, emotional awareness, and self-reflection. However, the participants were explicit in that institutional constraints, inadequate institutional support and training, and the complexity of emotional dynamics in Iran's standardized, test-driven educational ecosystem impeded the implementation of ELAL. The results also reinforced that the operationalization of the ELAL in the educational context of Iran remains an aspirational construct in the absence of teacher training, policy reform, and validated assessment instruments.