The present study is an empirical investigation aimed at examining Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ underlying purposes for employing classroom assessment, their perceptions of classroom assessment, and their actual practice of utilizing classroom assessment in their classes. To investigate the underlying purposes for employing classroom assessment, a questionnaire, developed by Alkharusi (2021), was administered to 61 EFL teachers randomly. The researchers then conducted interviews with five of these Iranian EFL teachers randomly to explore their perceptions of classroom assessment. Subsequently, two sessions of these five teachers’ classes were observed and audio-recorded to gain insights into their actual classroom assessment practices. The findings of the study revealed that classroom assessment is a very pivotal and indispensable concept that enables EFL teachers to effectively implement various assessment techniques in their classes. The primary purpose for utilizing classroom assessment by Iranian EFL teachers was to diagnose students’ strengths and weaknesses in learning the language. Moreover, the study indicated that verbal feedback and written comments were among the most commonly employed forms of feedback provided by Iranian EFL teachers in their classes. The teachers either employed divergent questions about the lesson or posed some general questions in their classes so that they could asses their students’ learning. The study may serve as a valuable resource benefitting EFL teachers by providing insights into effective classroom assessment practices that could ultimately improve teaching and learning processes.
