Assessment Innovation: Advancing an Empirically-Informed Theory of Teacher-Led Assessment Change

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: From Mentorship to Classroom Innovation: Supporting Teachers’ Assessment Literacy

Abstract

This study advances an empirically-grounded theory of teacher-led assessment innovation—i.e., how teachers innovate in response to systemic classroom assessment challenges. In a two-phase study including a survey of 168 educators and in-depth interviews with 19 Canadian teachers, we identified a five-phase process: identifying challenges, interrogating beliefs, imagining responses, enacting solutions, and reflecting on outcomes. Teachers described addressing issues such as diverse learner needs, grading pressures, and technology integration through context-specific innovations. Findings highlighted how teachers’ professional capital and reflective practice drive meaningful change in assessment. The proposed framework offers practical guidance for supporting teacher-led innovation and informs professional development and policy. This work underscores the value of small-scale, context-driven innovations in enhancing teaching and learning.

Authors

• Christopher DeLuca, Queen's University - Kingston

• Andrew Coombs, Memorial University of Newfoundland

• Danielle LaPointe-McEwan, Queen's University - Kingston

• Nathan H. Rickey, Queen's University - Kingston

• Brinanne Chafe, Memorial University of Newfoundland