The promotion of assessment literacy has become an important factor among testing practitioners. With respect to the signifcant role of assessment literacy in teacher education programs, the prevailing studies on this broad branch of literacy have identifed language teachers’ lack of concern for employing such literacy as their de facto practice in this area is mostly in contrast with the expected one. This shortcoming may derive from some cultural and ideological norms of a society, in which language teachers practice assessment. Investigating the rationale behind the mentioned shortcoming, this qualitative study, through a phenomenological approach, aimed to realize those sociocultural ideologies that mediate language teachers’ assessment literacy and practice. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 10 language teachers and their reflection papers on language assessment practice. The key fndings divulged that banking educational ideology and score-driven culture of education navigate language teachers’ assessment practice. The study concludes that cultural and ideological norms of a society can prevent a sought-after assessment practice on the part of language teachers. It also recommends a cultural reformation of education on the part of other stakeholders including students, parents and curriculum developers which in part can improve language teachers’ assessment literacy and practice.
