Exploring teachers’ perceptions of assessment literacy in a high-performing school district in New Jersey

ABSTRACT

As teachers gain experience, their assessment knowledge base, personal beliefs, and the educational context come together to shape their identity as an assessor. This study sought to add to the body of research by highlighting and describing, through the lens of the teacher, how beliefs and context influence teachers’ assessment literacy in practice. Qualitative case study methodology was selected to explore how elementary K-5 teachers’ personal beliefs play a role in the assessment culture of classrooms within a high performing school district. Data were collected through three data sources: surveys, focus group interviews, and artefact-based self-reflection. Themes emerged that highlighted how teachers perceive their own assessment literacy as a fluid and ongoing process. Findings suggest that the teachers in this context believe that engaging in reflective teaching practices would allow them the time to reflect on inherent biases as well as context influences and grow as assessment literate teachers.

KEYWORDS:

• Teachers
• assessment literacy
• Qualitative research
• Teacher training

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).