Teachers’ Conceptions About A Fair Student Assessment

Author(s):

Nina Hidalgo Farran(presenting / submitting)F. Javier Murillo Torrecilla Cynthia Martínez-Garrido Haylen Perines Véliz Reyes Hernández-Castilla

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

09. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

Format:

Paper

Session Information

09 SES 13 C, Teachers’ Conceptions and Uses of Assessments

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-11

11:00-12:30

Room:

334. [Main]

Chair:

Ramona Palos

Contribution

In the last few decades, the concern about the student learning assessment improvement by teachers has caused a research increase seeking to understand teachers’ assessment conceptions (Griffiths, Gore and Ladwig 2006; Harris and Brown, 2009; Pajares, 1992). The idea is easy: teacher conceptions’ define teachers’ practice. If we identify teachers’ conceptions, our information to transform their actions will be more appreciated and, thereby, it may optimize student learning (Griffiths et al., 2006).

We understand conceptions as an organized beliefs system originated in the individual's experiences and developed through its interactions (Remesal, 2011). Conceptions have a strong social character; they are grounded and built on shared spaces (Van den Berg, 2002). Applied to the education field, teachers' conceptions are a belief structure that teacher uses to daily interaction in the classroom. These conceptions are also influenced by the context, and determine teachers’ professional practice (Griffiths et al., 2006).

The study of conceptions about what is a “fair assessment” is particularly relevant in teachers conceptions line research (Cole and Zieky, 2001; Gipps and Stobart, 2009, Pettifor and Saklofske, 2012; Scott, Webberb , Lupartc, Aitkend and Scott, 2014). However, there are few empirical studies examining teachers’ conceptions about “fair assessment”. Thus, it is necessary that researches go in depth about it.

But, what is a fair assessment? To answer is not an easy job. It has ethical implications that have great influence on student learning. An element that delays the fair assessment conceptualization is the binomial equality vs equity. Thus, the fair assessment is it considered from a perspective closer to equality or nearest to equity?

Lam (1995) explains that teachers who conceive fair assessment from an equality perspective focus their assessment practice on ensuring equal conditions in performing test. A fair assessment, understood as equality, requires the same organization, content, scoring and interpretation of results, in order to achieve the highest objectivity.

On the other hand, authors like Suskie (2002) discuss that a fair assessment is not the same for all students, because students are not identified to have the same chances to access an education; so the principle of equality is not enough to ensure fairness. Suskie (2002) considers critical to promote equity in assessment. These assessments have to be adapted to the needs and characteristics of each student. This equity means multiple, qualitative and varied assessments to ensure that all students are supported.

Thinking about binomial equal-equity, Lam (1995) believes that if we safeguard equality it allows to compare the results and simplifies the amount of assessments. However the equality loses significance and could be subjective; while ensuring equity reduces bias and allows a meaningful assessment but introduces difficulties in administration and comparison of student results.

To address the need for more empirical studies about fair assessment practices, this research aims to seek into conceptions about what is for them a fair assessment of ten teachers of Primary and Secondary Education of Madrid. This study is included in the Call for Research Projects "Schools for Social Justice" (EDU2011-29114) from Spanish Education Ministry.

Method

This qualitative study has a phenomenographic methodological approach, to go in depth in the teacher’s conceptions (Bouden and Walsh, 2000; Marton, 1986; Richardson, 1999). This methodology aims to identify the different ways on how people experience, conceptualize, perceive and understand different phenomena. The instrument used for gathering the data has been the phenomenographic interview (Trigwell, 2000) based on self-report (Marton and Booth, 1997). The interviews started with a generating question: "What´s for you a fair assessment?" The fieldwork was developed between May to July of 2014. The participants were ten teachers of Primary and Secondary Education working in public, charter and private schools in Madrid (Spain). The selection was made by a non-probabilistic sampling (considering socioeconomic context of the school and education level). In keeping with the phenomenographic method we have followed a criterion of proximity to participants speech. We recorded by noting conceptualizations belonging to categories and sub-categories in the teachers’ speech. The category search led them to find an element that grouped and characterized the different conceptions of teachers which is the conception that teachers have of fair assessment.

Expected Outcomes

The findings show that, essentially, there are two visions about what is a fair assessment: a conception that link justice with equality; and other that relate fair assessment to equity. Teachers that define fair assessment as equal for students include three key elements. First, teachers consider that, to reach a fair assessment, it is necessary to inform students about how they will be evaluated through explicit knowledge of the moment, instruments and criteria to be used. Secondly, the teachers indicate the use of quantitative tests because they provide clearer information. And thirdly, a fair assessment is inevitably linked to the impartiality and transparency, not admitting discussion or debate. On the other hand, there are teachers who believe that a fair assessment is the one which is based on equity. Teachers emphasize the requirement that assessment fits the characteristics and needs of students and take into account student context. Also, teachers suggest the demand to measure truly the progress or learning progress, considering also their effort. And finally, teachers think that assessment must be qualitative and revelling the proceedings. The results show that a key element exists in the different teachers conceptions about what is a fair assessment (equal or equitable): the context of the school where they work. Thus, teachers that work in favourable environments consider that a fair assessment is objective, quantitative and transparent. However, teachers who teach in schools in challenging contexts, indicate that fair assessment must be adapted to their needs, it should be more qualitative and it must measure truly the student progress.

References

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