Chinese teachers’ conceptions of assessment for and of learning: Six competing and complementary purposes

As China continues to involve teachers in the implementation of an assessment for learning or formative assessment policy, a clearer understanding of how they conceive of the purposes and functions of assessment is necessary. This paper synthesises eight interview and survey studies, which have examined how diverse samples of practicing teachers in China have described the nature and purpose of assessment. Making use of inductive analyses and factor analytic techniques, variations in the constructs identified in teachers’ thinking are identified and aligned across the study methods. Six major constructs were identified, ranging from the positively regarded ideas that assessment develops the personal qualities and academic abilities of students to the more negatively viewed role of assessment for management and inspection of schools. This framework allows better insights into the challenges policy-makers might have in involving teachers in an effort to reduce negative consequences associated with high-stakes examination systems.