An exploratory study on teacher assessment literacy: do novice university teachers know how to assess students’ written reflection?

ABSTRACT

In recent years, reflective writings have been increasingly incorporated into the higher education curriculum to enhance students’ deep learning and to help assess their experiential learning outcomes. However, as reflective practices gain momentum worldwide, an under-researched question arises regarding whether teachers know how to assess reflection. Drawing on a teacher assessment literacy framework, this study explores how six novice university teachers in Hong Kong understand the assessment of reflective writings from three dimensions. Findings reveal that although teachers demonstrate a strong understanding of assessing reflection in a conceptual dimension (e.g. purposes and approaches of assessment), practically and socio-emotionally, teachers lack adequate knowledge and awareness to perform satisfactory assessment of reflection. The study subsequently discusses how and why certain dimensions of assessment literacy in reflection are prioritised in Hong Kong higher educationand provides a range of implications to improve future reflection practices and research.

KEYWORDS:

• Reflection
• assessment
• experiential learning
• teacher perception
• teacher assessment literacy

Highlights

• Investigating teacher assessment literacy on assessing reflection in relation to

  • The conceptual dimension,

  • The praxeological dimension and

  • The socio-emotional dimension.

Implications for assessing reflection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee [17200720]; University Grants Committee [Teaching and Learning Fund].

Notes on contributors

Cecilia K. Y. Chan

Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan is the Head of Professional Development at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. Cecilia has dual discipline expertise in engineering and education as well as rich experiences in research, training and teaching. Her research areas include holistic competency development, assessment in higher education and engineering education. She is the founding president of the Asian Society for Engineering Education (AsiaSEE). 

Jiahui Luo

Jiahui Luo is a research assistant at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, the University of Hong Kong. She holds an MPhil degree in education from the University of Cambridge, UK. Her research interests include holistic competency development, assessment and feedback in higher education.