Re-conceptualizing classroom assessment fairness: A systematic meta-ethnography of assessment literature and beyond

Abstract

Conceptualizing fairness in student assessment at classroom levels has been an area of focus in recent years given the growing emphasis on assessment-driven teaching and educational accountability across educational systems. However, previous studies into assessment fairness have predominantly drawn on assessment-based literature to conceptualize fairness. While this literature is central to the construct, we argue that it does not fully account for the dynamic relationship between assessment, teaching, and learning within the diverse socio-cultural classroom contexts. Therefore, using a systematic meta-ethnographic review of 150 studies, this study identifies a more comprehensive conception of fairness for classroom assessment drawn from not only assessment literature but also from literature beyond assessment, which has not already been included in the process of reconceptualizating classroom assessment fairness. The results of this study present a conceptualization of classroom assessment fairness with a dominant focus on the role of assessment fairness in supporting student learning.