Developing Assessment Literacy in Mathematics Instructors: Enhancing Professional Judgement in Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract

Teacher assessment literacy has been a focal point in educational policy, practice, and research for decades. While extensive literature exists on assessment literacy among K-12 teachers, empirical studies exploring its development among higher education faculty remain limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating how university mathematics educators in Germany and Norway enhanced their professional judgement of student work through a discipline-specific, classroom-embedded, and participatory professional development initiative. Drawing on theoretical models of teacher assessment competency and situated professional judgement, this research offers insights into fostering assessment literacy within higher education contexts. Educators collaboratively designed and implemented various assessment-for-learning interventions—such as rubrics and exemplars—and engaged in systematic inquiry through focused observation, field notes, and questionnaires. To deepen their professional judgement, educators conducted structured analyses of student work using cognitive commentary and think-aloud protocols. Inter-rater reliability checks were used to ensure consistency in their judgements. Findings from a follow-up focused group showed that educators’ assessment competence is highly context-dependent and discipline-specific. Their judgements were shaped by ongoing compromise and negotiation of factors like personal beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge, i.e., their knowledge of curriculum, expected learning progression, and learners. These findings support previous research on the adaptive nature of assessment competence and highlight the need for tailored, evidence-based professional development opportunities in assessment for higher education faculty.