SpringerLink
Log in

Fairness in Classroom Assessment: A Systematic Review

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the components of fair classroom assessment and formulate a conceptual framework for it by following the steps proposed by Okoli and Schabram for a systematic review. For this purpose, three databases including Eric, Elsevier, and Springer were systematically searched. As a result of this research, 39 sub-themes for fair classroom assessment were obtained in the form of 7 themes of "educational fairness", "interactional fairness", "procedural fairness", "distributive fairness", "egalitarian fair assessment", "equitable fair assessment" and "validity". Based on the theoretical definitions provided in the social justice approach and measurement theory, these scattered themes were presented in the form of an integrated and coherent model for fair classroom assessment. This model has a process view of fairness in classroom assessment; thus, the violation of the assessment indicators in each of the stages of "gathering", "using" and "interpreting", in addition to reducing the perception of fairness of one of the seven themes, affects the fair classroom assessment. Also, the violation of fairness in each of these stages affects fairness in the next stage. The presented model will help teachers and professors in recognizing the indicators affecting each of the themes of fairness in the classroom assessment and by increasing their assessment literacy will help them in planning and implementing assessment and educational processes and designing tests that provide a fairer classroom assessment. This model and its concepts can also help assessment researchers to develop a tool for evaluating fairness in classroom assessment and provide the basis for quantitative research to examine the effectiveness of the paths identified in the model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alm, F., & Colnerud, G. (2015). Teachers’ experiences of unfair grading. Educational Assessment, 20(2), 132–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), & National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME). (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education.

  • Anderson, B., Berger, J., Zelditch, M., & Cohen, B. P. (1969). Reactions to inequity. Acta Sociologica, 12(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bempechat, J., Ronfard, S., Li, J., Mirny, A., & Holloway, S. D. (2013). “ SHE ALWAYS GIVES GRADES LOWER THAN ONE DESERVES:” A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF RUSSIAN ADOLESCENTS’PERCEPTIONS OF FAIRNESS IN THE CLASSROOM. Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, 7(4).

  • Berger, J., Zelditch, M., & Anderson, B., & Cohen, B. P. (1972). Structural aspects of distributive justice: A status value formulation. Sociological Theories in Progress, 119–146.

  • Bonner, S. M. (2013). Validity in classroom assessment: Purposes, properties, and principles. In SAGE handbook of research on classroom assessment (pp. 87–106).

  • Brookhart, S. M. (2003). Develo** measurement theory for classroom assessment purposes and uses. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 22(4), 5–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brookhart, S. M., & McMillan, J. H. (2019). Classroom Assessment and Educational Measurement. Routledge.

  • Camilli, G. (2013). Ongoing issues in test fairness. Educational Research and Evaluation, 19(2–3), 104–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherry, B., Ordóñez, L. D., & Gilliland, S. W. (2003). Grade expectations: The effects of expectations on fairness and satisfaction perceptions. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 16(5), 375–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chory, R. M., Horan, S. M., & Houser, M. L. (2017). Justice in the higher education classroom: Students’ perceptions of unfairness and responses to instructors. Innovative Higher Education, 42(4), 321–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chory-Assad, R. M. (2002). Classroom justice: Perceptions of fairness as a predictor of student motivation, learning, and aggression. Communication Quarterly, 50(1), 58–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chory-Assad, R. M., & Paulsel, M. L. (2004). Classroom justice: Student aggression and resistance as reactions to perceived unfairness. Communication Education, 53(3), 253–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cizek, G. J. (2009). Reliability and validity of information about student achievement: Comparing large-scale and classroom testing contexts. Theory into Practice, 48(1), 63–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colquitt, J. A. (2001). On the dimensionality of organizational justice: A construct validation of a measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cropanzano, R., & Greenberg, J. (1997). Progress in organizational justice: Tunneling through the maze. International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 12, 317–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crosby, F. (1976). A model of egoistical relative deprivation. Psychological Review, 83(2), 85–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Čiuladienė, G., & Račelytė, D. (2016). Perceived unfairness in teacher-student conflict situations: Students’ point of view. Polish Journal of Applied Psychology, 14(1), 49–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLuca, C. (2012). Preparing teachers for the age of accountability: Toward a framework for assessment education. Action in Teacher Education, 34(5–6), 576–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duplaga, E. A., & Astani, M. (2010). An exploratory study of student perceptions of which classroom policies are fairest. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 8(1), 9–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flores, M. A., Veiga Simão, A. M., Barros, A., & Pereira, D. (2015). Perceptions of effectiveness, fairness and feedback of assessment methods: A study in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 40(9), 1523–1534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilliland, S. W. (1993). The perceived fairness of selection systems: An organizational justice perspective. Academy of Management Review, 18(4), 694–734.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gipps, C. V. (2003). Beyond testing: Towards a theory of educational assessment. Psychology Press.

  • Gopalakrishnan, S., & Ganeshkumar, P. (2013). Systematic reviews and meta-analysis: Understanding the best evidence in primary healthcare. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 2(1), 9–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, M. E., & Fay, C. H. (2010). The effects of grading and teaching practices on students’ perceptions of grading fairness. College Teaching, 58(3), 93–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, S. K., Johnson, R. L., Kim, D.-H., & Pope, N. S. (2007). Ethics in classroom assessment practices: Issues and attitudes. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(7), 999–1011.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houston, M. B., & Bettencourt, L. A. (1999). But that’s not fair! An exploratory study of student perceptions of instructor fairness. Journal of Marketing Education, 21(2), 84–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John, A. C. (2015). Reliability and validity: A sine qua non for fair assessment of undergraduate technical and vocational education projects in Nigerian Universities. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(34), 68–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. L., Green, S. K., Kim, D.-H., & Pope, N. S. (2008). Educational leaders’ perceptions about ethical practices in student evaluation. American Journal of Evaluation, 29(4), 520–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. (2003). The student evaluation standards. Corwin Press.

  • Joint Advisory Committee. (1993). The principles for fair student assessment practices for education in Canada. Edmonton, Canada: Joint Advisory Committee. Retrieved from http://www.acposb.on.ca/fair.pdf

  • Klenowski, V. (2014). Towards fairer assessment. The Australian Educational Researcher, 41(4), 445–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ko, S. S. (2014). Peer assessment in group projects accounting for assessor reliability by an iterative method. Teaching in Higher Education, 19(3), 301–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2013.860110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenzi, M., Vieno, A., De Vogli, R., Santinello, M., Ottova, V., Baška, T., & De Matos, M. G. (2013). Perceived teacher unfairness and headache in adolescence: A cross-national comparison. International Journal of Public Health, 58(2), 227–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leventhal, G. S. (1980). What should be done with equity theory? In K. J. Gergen, M. S. Greenberg, & R. H. Willis (Eds.), Social exchange (pp. 27–55). Springer.

  • Levy, Y., & Ellis, T. J. (2006). A systems approach to conduct an effective literature review in support of information systems research. Informing Science, 9.

  • Liu, J., Johnson, R., & Fan, X. (2016). A comparative study of Chinese and United States pre-service teachers’ perceptions about ethical issues in classroom assessment. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 48, 57–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillan, J. H. (2017). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice that enhance student learning and motivation. Pearson.

  • Murillo, F. J., & Hidalgo, N. (2017). Students’ conceptions about a fair assessment of their learning. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 53, 10–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okoli, C., & Schabram, K. (2010). A guide to conducting a systematic literature review of information systems research. SSRN Electronic Journal, 26(10), 1–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panadero, E., Romero, M., & Strijbos, J. W. (2013). The impact of a rubric and friendship on peer assessment: Effects on construct validity, performance, and perceptions of fairness and comfort. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 39(4), 195–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pepper, M. B., & Pathak, S. (2008). Classroom contribution: What do students perceive as fair assessment? Journal of Education for Business, 83(6), 360–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasooli, A., Zandi, H., & DeLuca, C. (2018). Re-conceptualizing classroom assessment fairness: A systematic meta-ethnography of assessment literature and beyond. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 56, 164–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodabaugh, R. C. (1994). College students’ perceptions of unfairness in the classroom. To Improve the Academy, 13(1), 269–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sambell, K., Brown, S., & McDowell, L. (1997). “ But Is It Fair?”: An exploratory study of student perceptions of the consequential validity of assessment. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 23(4), 349–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, T. A., Houston, M. B., Bettencourt, L. A., & Boughton, P. D. (2003). The impact of voice and justification on students’ perceptions of professors’ fairness. Journal of Marketing Education, 25(2), 177–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, S., Webber, C. F., Lupart, J. L., Aitken, N., & Scott, D. E. (2014). Fair and equitable assessment practices for all students. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 21(1), 52–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stobart, G. (2006). The validity of formative assessment. In J. Gardner (Ed.), Assessment and learning (pp. 133–146). Sage.

  • Struyven, K., Dochy, F., & Janssens, S. (2005). Students’ perceptions about evaluation and assessment in higher education: A review. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 30(4), 325–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tata, J. (2005). The influence of national culture on the perceived fairness of grading procedures: A comparison of the United States and China. The Journal of Psychology, 139(5), 401–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Telese, J. A. (1998). Making mathematics assessment fair for students at-risk. Middle School Journal, 29(3), 40–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut, J. W., & Walker, L. (1975). Procedural justice: A psychological analysis. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  • Tierney, R. D. (2014). Fairness as a multifaceted quality in classroom assessment. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 43, 55–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tierney, R. D. (2013). Fairness in classroom assessment. SAGE Handbook of Research on Classroom Assessment (pp. 125–144). https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218649.n8

  • Twenge, J. M. (2009). Generational changes and their impact in the classroom: Teaching Generation Me. Medical Education, 43(5), 398–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, Y., & Brown, G. T. L. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy in practice: A reconceptualization. Teaching and Teacher Education, 58, 149–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Dr. Kardan St., Jalal Al-Ahmad Ave., PO Box: 14155-6456, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Baniasadi, Keyvan Salehi, Ebrahim Khodaie & Khosrow Bagheri Noaparast

  2. Faculty of Psychology and Education, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

    Balal Izanloo

Authors
  1. Ali Baniasadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Keyvan Salehi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ebrahim Khodaie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Khosrow Bagheri Noaparast
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Balal Izanloo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keyvan Salehi.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Baniasadi, A., Salehi, K., Khodaie, E. et al. Fairness in Classroom Assessment: A Systematic Review. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 32, 91–109 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00636-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-021-00636-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation