Published in Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice (Vol. 29, No. 3, 2022)

ABSTRACT Students’ test-taking motivation confounds test performance. This study examines students’ conceptions of tests and test-taking motivation when different test consequences are at play. In a between-subjects experimental design, a sample of 479 New Zealand senior secondary school students were randomly assigned to one of the three vignette consequence conditions (i.e. none, country or self)

ABSTRACT This article presents a historical and contemporary account of Lithuania’s national public education assessment system and its transformation since the country’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. We explore how the external examination system has developed in relation to ongoing curriculum reforms over the last 30 years, and how external examinations and standardised

ABSTRACT Communication of International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) results is dominated by reporting average country achievement scores that conceal individual differences between pupils, schools, and items. Educational research primarily focuses on examining differences between pupils and schools, while differences between items are overlooked. Using a variance components model on the Programme

ABSTRACT We explore the effect of students’ perceived task difficulty on the mathematics self-efficacy – performance relationship. Specifically, we expand on previous reciprocal effects studies through including students’ self-efficacy for different levels of task difficulty in an empirical investigation. We examined students’ self-efficacy for easy, medium difficulty, and hard tasks and performance

Published in Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice (Vol. 29, No. 2, 2022)

ABSTRACT State education systems in the U.S. experienced major disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from assessments administered during, and at the conclusion of, the 2020-21 school year indicate substantial ‘unfinished learning’, with the losses generally greater among disadvantaged and marginalized students. States’ assessment systems are strongly tilted toward meeting Federal accountability

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the validity of a multi-dimensional measure of motives for writing. Based on an earlier instrument and theoretical conceptualisations of writing beliefs, we developed the Writing Motivation Questionnaire (WMQ). A sample of 2,186 fourth- (558 girls; 521 boys) and fifth-grade students (546 girls; 561 boys) completed 28 writing motivation items assessing seven motives for

(2022). Assessment and learning in times of change and uncertainty. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 1-4.

ABSTRACT A substantial body of research suggests that young people’s emotions – both positive and negative – are linked to a wide range of future outcomes. This paper contributes to this literature by investigating the link between young people’s positive and negative emotions and their performance in high-stakes examinations. Using Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data from England

ABSTRACT Systemic disruptions from COVID-19 have transformed the assessment landscape in Canada and across the world. Alongside repeated shifts to emergency remote teaching, large-scale assessments and summative evaluations were cancelled in many jurisdictions, and repeated concerns were raised about ensuring equity and access to quality education. This paper investigates the rapid – and in many cases

ABSTRACT This study explores the effects of the shift to emergency remote teaching on assessment practices due to COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 936 Spanish teachers from all educational levels ranging from early childhood to university participated in this nationwide survey. Four aspects were explored: (1) changes in the use of assessment instruments (e.g. exams); (2) changes in assessment criteria

ABSTRACT Fairness in assessment has become increasingly topical and controversial in recent years. Assessment theoreticians are writing more about fairness and assessment practitioners have developed processes and good practice to minimise unfairness. There is also increased scrutiny by students, parents and the wider public – not only of the fairness of assessments themselves and their outcomes, but

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the predictability of writing development and if scores on a writing test in the first weeks of first grade accurately predict students’ placements into different proficiency groups. Participants were 832 first grade students in Norway. Writing proficiency was measured twice, at the start and at the end of first grade (time 1 and time 2, respectively). Multilevel

ABSTRACT In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) has been the qualification by which students’ attainment at age sixteen has been measured for the last thirty years. Despite the longevity of GCSEs, relatively little research has explored the views and experiences of those undertaking them. Using a systematic literature review methodology and critical

ABSTRACT This article reports on the implementation of a formative assessment tool (the Writing Engagement Scale, or WES) in grades 3–5 in schools in the United States. We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to collect validity evidence for the WES for our population. Results demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability. In addition, survey results indicated that teachers perceived the WES

ABSTRACT Practical educational assessment tools for adolescents champion student voice, use technology to enhance engagement, highlight discrepancies in school experience, and provide actionable feedback. We report a series of studies that detail an iterative process for developing a new school climate assessment tool: (1) item generation that centres student voice, (2) the design of a web-based app

ABSTRACT Α frequently used indicator to reflect student performance is that of a test score. However, although tests are designed to assess students’ knowledge or skills, other factors can also affect test results such as test-taking strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to model the interrelationships among test-taking strategy instruction (with a focus on metacognition), answer changing

(2022). Correction. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT We propose a framework designed to guide the development of automated writing practice and formative evaluation and feedback for young children (K-5th grade) – the early Automated Writing Evaluation (early-AWE) Framework. e-AWE is grounded on the fundamental assumption that e-AWE is needed for young developing readers, but must incorporate advanced technologies inherent to AWE, speech recognition

ABSTRACT Formative assessment is an important driver in supporting children’s writing development. This paper describes a writing rubric designed for use by teachers to formatively assess the writing of children in Pre-K to Grade 2, how the rubric was received by teachers, and its implementation in classrooms. Writing samples from 337 children in 33 classrooms in 7 schools in the Write to Read literacy

ABSTRACT Written expression curriculum-based measurement (WE-CBM) is a formative assessment approach for screening and progress monitoring. To extend evaluation of WE-CBM, we compared hand-calculated and automated scoring approaches in relation to the number of screening samples needed per student for valid scores, the long-term predictive validity and diagnostic accuracy of scores, and predictive

ABSTRACT We examined whether students were accurate in predicting their test performance in both low-stakes and high-stakes testing contexts. The sample comprised U.S. high school students enrolled in an advanced placement (AP) statistics course during the 2017–2018 academic year (N = 209; Mage = 16.6 years). We found that even two months before taking the AP exam, a high stakes summative assessment

ABSTRACT We investigated the promise of a novel approach to formative writing assessment at scale that involved an automated writing evaluation (AWE) system called MI Write. Specifically, we investigated elementary teachers’ perceptions and implementation of MI Write and changes in students’ writing performance in three genres from Fall to Spring associated with this implementation. Teachers in Grades

ABSTRACT The role of the academic discipline is a major factor in the assessment design and implementation in higher education. Unfortunately, a clear understanding of how teachers from different disciplines approach assessment is still missing; this information can lead to teacher training programmes that are better designed and more focussed. The present study compared assessment design and implementation

(2021). Use of innovative technology in oral language assessment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 28, Use of Innovative Technology in Oral Language Assessment, pp. 343-349.

ABSTRACT Children’s oral language proficiency (OLP) is integral for developing literacy skills. Storytelling or retelling is often used by parents and educators to elicit children’s OLP, yet it is less commonly used for assessment purposes. Leveraged by natural language processing and machine learning, this study examined the extent to which computational linguistic and acoustic indices predict human

ABSTRACT Questionnaire scales that are mixed-worded, i.e. include both positively and negatively worded items, often suffer from issues like low reliability and more complex latent structures than intended. Part of the problem might be that some responders fail to respond consistently to the mixed-worded items. We investigated the prevalence and impact of inconsistent responders in 37 primary education

(2021). Who is feedback for? Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 209-211.

ABSTRACT Recent advances in machine learning have made automated scoring of learner speech widespread, and yet validation research that provides support for applying automated scoring technology to assessment is still in its infancy. Both the educational measurement and language assessment communities have called for greater transparency in describing scoring algorithms and research evidence about

ABSTRACT There is growing concern about the mental wellbeing of young people, including how this is related to national tests. This is a particularly important policy issue in England, where it is claimed that the end of primary Key Stage 2 tests cause schools, pupils and teachers stress. I investigate this issue using data from the Millennium Cohort Study, comparing the wellbeing of pupils in England

ABSTRACT Human raters and machine scoring systems potentially have complementary strengths in evaluating language ability; specifically, it has been suggested that automated systems might be used to make consistent measurements of specific linguistic phenomena, whilst humans evaluate more global aspects of performance. We report on an empirical study that explored the possibility of combining human

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the evaluation of the final year of a three-year professional learning intervention underpinned by a student-centred model of feedback. School leaders, teachers, and students in 13 Australian state schools participated in the research. The professional learning was contextualised in Year 3 English, with a focus on writing. Data from school leader, teacher and student

ABSTRACT Learning path and learning progression have received extensive attention from broad disciplines. The existing research In the field of learning path is rarely applied in curriculum learning and teaching. Learning progression is usually constructed through observations, interviews but not quantitative analyses. With 726 Grade 8 students’ mathematical knowledge in TIMSS-2015 as the research

ABSTRACT As our understanding of the construct of oral communication (OC) has evolved, so have the possibilities of computer technology undertaking the delivery of tests that measure this ability. It is paramount to understand to what extent such developments lead to accurate, comprehensive, and useful assessment of OC. In this paper, we discuss five models of technology-delivered OC assessment that

ABSTRACT An effective diagnostic test can play a key role in language learning, allowing strengths and weaknesses in students’ linguistic development to be identified and addressed. This paper describes the online Cambridge English diagnostic test, assessing English grammatical knowledge at A2 level. As most language tests focus on proficiency or achievement, relatively little research into diagnostic

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the comparability between the video-conferencing and face-to-face modes of the IELTS Speaking Test in terms of scores and language functions generated by test-takers. Data were collected from 10 trained IELTS examiners and 99 test-takers who took two speaking tests under face-to-face and video-conferencing conditions. Many-facet Rasch Model (MFRM) analysis of test scores

ABSTRACT This paper describes the enlargement of the initial conception of formative assessment with reference to constructivist, sociocultural and situated theories of learning and the concept of co-regulation. It reviews research on student involvement in formative assessment practices (self-assessment, peer assessment, whole-class discussions of criteria and exemplars) in the area of writing, with

ABSTRACT Fluency in terms of speed of speech and (lack of) hesitations such as silent and filled pauses (‘uhm’s) is part of oral proficiency. Language assessment rubrics therefore include aspects of fluency. Measuring fluency, however, is highly time-consuming because of the manual labour involved. The current paper aims to automatically measure aspects of L2 fluency, including filled pauses, in both

ABSTRACT Self-regulation describes how individuals assess and adapt to demands within and across environments. Research accumulated over the past quarter century identifies self-regulation as a powerful predictor of children’s school success. However, studying young children’s self-regulation in school is challenging. Tools that are easy and efficient to administer, closely linked to curriculum and

(2021). Signature assessment and feedback practices in the disciplines. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 28, Signature Assessment and Feedback Practices in the Disciplines, pp. 97-100.

ABSTRACT The importance of engaging students in disciplinary practices of science is widely acknowledged and well researched. What is less understood is how to assess students’ development of these practices. In particular, there is a need for understanding how formative assessment and feedback practices can be integrated into classroom instruction in ways that are linked to science practices and aligned

ABSTRACT Through an extended commentary on the empirical articles in this special issue ‘Signature Assessment and Feedback Practices in the Disciplines’ we elaborate the concepts of signature assessment and signature feedback practices by developing a new taxonomy of their elements. We propose that signature assessments focus on conceptual, epistemological, social, material and/or moral dimensions

ABSTRACT Given the increasing diversity of teachers and students in 21st century classrooms, fairness is a key consideration in classroom adjusted assessment and instructional practices for students with disability. Despite its significance, little research has attempted to explicitly conceptualise fairness for classroom assessment adjusted practices. The purpose of this study is to leverage the multiple

ABSTRACT This paper presents a scoping review of, firstly, how teachers use digital technologies for school-based assessment, and secondly, how these assessment-purposed digital technologies are used in teacher- and student-centred pedagogies. It draws on research about the use of assessment-purposed digital technologies in school settings, published from 2009 to 2019 in peer-reviewed journals and

ABSTRACT In education systems across the world, teachers are under increasing quality assurance scrutiny in relation to the provision of feedback comments to students. This is particularly pertinent in higher education, where accountability arising from student dissatisfaction with feedback causes concern for institutions. Through semi-structured interviews with twenty-eight educators from a range

ABSTRACT Feedback is a cultural tool through which English teachers can facilitate secondary students’ evaluative expertise in their writing development. While there is increased concern to use feedback to enhance learning at all educational levels, there is currently little empirical knowledge of how secondary teachers of English design feedback for complex appraisal. Using data from two qualitative

ABSTRACT In the business disciplines, there is a disconnection between what employers expect graduates to do and what graduates are actually able to do. Limited research has been done on the interfaces of professionals’ aspirations, university instructors’ enactment, and university learners’ experiences. To address this well-felt gap, we conducted a series of interviews with employers in the industry

ABSTRACT Trust in centralised high-stakes exams in Georgia has grown since 2005, when the introduction of nationwide standardised tests for university entry successfully eradicated the deep-rooted corruption in the admissions system. In 2011, another set of high-stakes exams were introduced for school graduation, resulting in a minimum of 12 exams for secondary school graduation and university entry

ABSTRACT Signature pedagogies have been identified for medicine and nursing, however are not yet resolved for allied health. This paper explores feedback as part of the signature pedagogy for health professions clinical placements. It adopts a Theory of Practice Architectures perspective to understand feedback practices, within the context of placements which involved student mentoring. Two dominant

ABSTRACT Signature pedagogies are widely used in professional education to prepare students for the complex and unpredictable nature of professional work. We argue that assessment moments involving professional artefacts contribute to the evaluation and formation of professional knowledge, skills and moral understandings – and thus to the signature of the pedagogy. The ‘authenticity’ these professional

(2021). Preparing for admissions tests in English. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 28, Preparing for Admission Tests in English for Higher Education, pp. 1-12.

ABSTRACT Teachers are playing crucial roles in the implementation of formative assessment, which has been widely recognised as a valuable strategy in enhancing students’ learning outcomes. However, systematic analysis on factors that might facilitate or hinder teachers’ intentions and implementations regarding formative assessment is scarce. This review covers 52 eligible studies and identifies factors

ABSTRACT In Sweden, grades are used for selection to upper-secondary school and higher education, even though agreement in teachers’ grading is low and the selection therefore potentially unfair. Furthermore, measures taken to increase the agreement have not been successful. This study has explored how to increase agreement in teachers’ grading by comparing analytic and holistic grading. Teachers (n = 74)

(2020). Rethinking validity in educational assessment. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 585-587.

ABSTRACT Drawing on Kane’s argument-based approach to validity and Toulmin’s later work on cosmopolitanism and diversity, this paper asks whose validity arguments and evidence are being presented in International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs), where and when. With a case study of the OECD’s PISA for Development, we demonstrate that validity arguments are assembled, negotiated and transformed by the

ABSTRACT Synoptic assessment refers to the assessment of students’ understanding of the links between the different elements of a subject. Despite its ability to promote a holistic delivery of the curriculum and deep learning, it is currently an under-researched topic in the field of educational assessment. In fact, an electronic search for the term synoptic assessment in major academic databases yielded

ABSTRACT Learning to solve subtraction problems that require borrowing (e.g., 83–57=) is challenging, and these problems often cause ‘bridging’ errors, such as the smaller-from-larger error. This study explores how bridging errors in subtraction are related to students’ mathematical ability. The study involved 694 third-grade students and 35 teachers from 25 Dutch schools. Multilevel regression analyses

(2020). Developing evaluative judgement in higher education. Assessment for knowing and producing quality work. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 27, No. 6, pp. 707-710.

(2020). How to make grades meaningful. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice: Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 477-479.