How Do Teachers View Themselves as Assessors?

Within the broader debate on teacher professionalism, there has been a notable increase in research interest in the identity that teachers develop over the course of their careers as assessors. More specifically, teacher assessment identity is considered a crucial component of recent conceptualisations and models of teacher assessment literacy. With the aim of providing new insights into the teacher assessment literacy debate, this article presents evidence about teachers’ self-perception as assessors. The data were drawn from an analysis of self-identikits completed by nine primary school teachers. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) revealed that the participants’ identity as assessors was somewhat inconsistent and was primarily characterised by social and relational interactions between teachers and students in the classroom. The study participants did not report aspects generally considered relevant to the current conceptualisations of teacher assessment literacy. There were no references to the knowledge and skills that teachers should have to ensure sound and effective assessment practices, as well as to the personal beliefs, values, and conceptions that remain unexplored and unconsidered in teachers’ self-reflections. Finally, the implications for research and educational practice are discussed.