A conceptual framework for trust in standardised assessments: Commercial, quasi-market and national systems

Melanie Ehren*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This article presents a conceptual framework for trust in standardised assessments. Standardised assessments play an important role in many education systems as they inform decisions about students' future schooling career or entry to the labour market. Also, standardised assessments are often used for teacher performance reviews and school accountability, or to monitor learning outcomes on the national level. Various stakeholders rely on the accuracy of assessment outcomes when making decisions about students' competences, or seek to improve the quality of education. Such reliance implies a need for trust in those who design and administer standardised assessments and make decisions on the basis of the outcomes. The framework presented in this article describes the type of relational and macro-level trust that is relevant for three types of assessment systems: national, quasi-market and commercial systems. Throughout the analysis presented, examples are provided to illustrate the ways in which relational and macro-level trust can vary by who is tested and by whom they are assessed; and how trust in evaluations varies by the purpose and consequences of testing, as well as the individual agency of students, their teachers and school leaders.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11-22
JournalEuropean Journal of Education
Volume58
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author. European Journal of Education published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords

  • assessment systems
  • education
  • high stakes testing
  • Netherlands
  • trust

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