An increased focus on equity and justice in education emerges from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, where the commitment is to provide inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels, as well as from other European and international documents (OECD, 2012, 2005; UNESCO, 2015). However, little is known about the specific field of learning assessment and about the possible enhancement for assessment processes when inspired by discourses about justice, equity and fairness.

The present contribution is part of a larger research project SHIFT (Shaping and Inspiring a Fair Thinking in assessment) that aims to investigate how to shift assessment practices toward equity and justice/fairness and how the assessment methods can meet the diversity of the students. Specifically in this contribution the aim is to explore how and when an assessment process or practice is fair/equitable from the students’ perspective.

Empirical and theoretical studies have highlighted the need to investigate the students’ insights about the introduction of the issue of justice in the assessment field. A review by Struyven et al. (2005) reveals that from university students’ points of view, assessment has a positive effect on their learning and is ‘fair’ when it: (1) relates to authentic tasks; (2) represents reasonable demands; (3) encourages them to apply knowledge to realistic contexts; (4) emphasizes the need to develop a range of skills; and (5) is perceived to have long-term benefits. Other studies with university students (Lizzio et al., 2007) show the contribution of some factors of fair assessment to the perception of a fair academic environment: the transparency and objectivity (‘Students are assessed on clear and objective criteria’) and the equity (‘Rules and procedures are applied consistently and fairly’) of the learning and assessment process.

Other relevant studies (Pepper and Pathak, 2008; Scott et al., 2014; Flores et al., 2015; Murillo & Hidalgo, 2017) show that students give great attention to some aspects when defining an assessment as fair: 1) explicitness in grading criteria, 2) frequent feedback, 3) assessment capacity to meet the characteristics of each student, 4) equality for all in terms of conditions and support, 5) participation in the assessment process, 6) focus on the effort and the progress (not just the results), 7) continuity and flexibility, 8) attention to aspects not strictly related to learning, such as their attitude, empathy, respect for peers, 9) learner-centred approach to assessment.

A study by Pitt and Winstone (2018) investigates the role of anonymous marking on university students’ perspectives about fairness by exploring whether students perceive anonymous marking as fairer than non-anonymous marking. Results revealed no significant difference according to whether or not marking was anonymous. The study suggests to seriously question whether transparency and equity require anonymous marking and to distinguish between anonymous grading and anonymous feedback (Whitelegg, 2002): whilst anonymous grading has clear advantages (such as removal of bias/prejudgement), the provision of feedback on an anonymous basis is potentially problematic because it disrupts the feedback loop by removing the individualisation of feedback comments, increasing the distance between staff and students. The specific aim of the presented research is to explore these issues with a group of students enrolled in teacher education programmes. Their perspectives and insights about how to shift assessment cultures and practices towards fairness are relevant given their path for becoming teachers in addition to the fact that reflecting upon the nature and the purposes of assessment is fundamental for the development of their professional identity.

SHIFT intends to give value to the logic and the flow of the 4-D model of the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) generating the positive energy that is needed to carry out changes. Specifically, the present contribution is aimed at focussing on a part of the second step “Dream”. It invites to ask “what might be” and how things might work well in the future, imagining and envisioning ideas and practices. A group of 250 prospective teachers were involved in a qualitative research. Specifically, 200 students enrolled in the teacher education program at University of Padova completed a written interview. Written interviews were collected in the context of a course for pre-service teachers at the teacher education programme (Course taught: Didactics and Pedagogy for inclusion) and at the time of the course,the participants were in their third year of studies. Moreover, 50 students from 5 different countries (UK, Turkey, Lithuania, Netherlands and Portugal) and enrolled in teacher education programs participated in 4 focus groups. All the participants were informed about the pedagogical and research purposes of the data collection, which was also to promote reflection as an important part of teachers’ professional development. The same appreciative questions guided the reflection in written interviews and in the focus groups with the aim to foster the capacity to aspire and imagine possible and future actions about learning assessment. The students were required to reflect upon each question. They received the following guidelines: ‘Reflect upon your experiences of learning assessment. Take into account the following questions: 1) In your idea of the school of the future, what role does assessment play? How should it be? What features should it have? 2) How might we shift assessment practices toward equity, justice and fairness? How might we assess for learning and growth of all students? 3) How future assessment methods meet the diversity of the students? and 4) Have you ever felt, or do you know someone, excluded from the assessment? In your experience, is there anything that assessment has allowed you to do and enhance, or exclude?’ Data from written interviews and transcriptions of focus groups are analysed by content analysis.

Data analysis revealed the capacity of the appreciative protocol of interview to generate positive and creative answers. Collected answers contained reflections about a possible dialogue between assessment and the issues of equity and fairness as well as practical implications of introducing these dimensions in the assessment discourse and procedure. Alternative assessment practices (self-assessment, peer-assessment, portfolio) are perceived as helpful to learn in a more in-depth way and “fair procedures” (the feeling is that traditional examinations are an unfair measure of learning). Also the ‘essay’ is perceived as helpful to reduce feelings of injustice. In any case, two factors seem related to a perception of fairness in assessment: quality feedback (and communication in general) and transparency of the assessment process (above all in the phase of constructing and sharing criteria). Another issue is the connection between fairness and the discourse about the students’ rights: assessment practices are fair if able to protect students’ rights as having the opportunities to participate in the learning process and to demonstrate learning. This is in line with Elwood and Lundy (2010) sustaining that an equitable assessment is a right that implies “equality of opportunity for all, without discrimination on any grounds” (p. 345). Further analyses are expected to reveal useful aspects to be shared and then implemented in schools. Specifically, the ideas and observations participants have envisioned in the Dream step will be translated into innovative actions and ways to bring into existence the “preferred future” about fair assessment for sustaining the change in assessment cultures and practices.

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