Identifying Pedagogical Factors Influencing the Use of Diagnostic Assessment in Secondary Classrooms
Keywords:
Diagnostic assessment, secondary education, qualitative research, teacher beliefs, assessment literacy, classroom practice, instructional responsivenessAbstract
This study aimed to identify and explore the pedagogical factors influencing the implementation of diagnostic assessment in secondary classrooms. This research employed a qualitative design grounded in the interpretivist paradigm to gain a contextual understanding of teacher perceptions and practices related to diagnostic assessment. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 secondary school teachers in Tehran, selected via purposive sampling to ensure relevant experience and diversity across disciplines. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using NVivo software. Thematic saturation was reached through iterative coding and constant comparison. The analysis involved open, axial, and selective coding to identify core themes and underlying patterns across the dataset. The thematic analysis revealed four main categories shaping teachers’ use of diagnostic assessment: (1) teacher knowledge and beliefs, (2) institutional support and constraints, (3) student-related factors, and (4) pedagogical practices and classroom dynamics. Key barriers included conceptual misunderstandings about diagnostic assessment, lack of targeted professional development, time constraints, and misalignment between assessment goals and administrative priorities. Facilitators included reflective teaching habits, collaborative school culture, and instructional flexibility. Teachers emphasized the importance of student feedback literacy and the need for emotionally supportive environments for diagnostic strategies to be effective. The integration of diagnostic data into instructional planning was observed only when teachers demonstrated strong assessment literacy and institutional autonomy. Diagnostic assessment in secondary classrooms remains underutilized due to a combination of cognitive, institutional, and contextual barriers. Enhancing its application requires systemic alignment, improved teacher training, and supportive pedagogical cultures that value assessment as a formative and adaptive process.
Downloads
References
Bennett, R. E. (2011). Formative assessment: A critical review. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2010.513678
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5
Brookhart, S. M. (2011). Educational assessment knowledge and skills for teachers. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 30(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3992.2010.00195.x
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315–1325. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute.
DeLuca, C., LaPointe-McEwan, D., & Luhanga, U. (2016). Teacher assessment literacy: A review of international standards and measures. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 28(3), 251–272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-015-9233-6
Fulmer, G. W., Lee, I. C., & Tan, K. H. K. (2015). Validation of teachers' assessment literacy instrument: Implications for professional development. International Journal of Educational Research, 70, 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2015.01.002
Gulikers, J. T. M., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2004). A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(3), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504676
Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assessment: What do teachers need to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan, 89(2), 140–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170708900210
Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom. Corwin Press.
Klenowski, V. (2009). Assessment for learning revisited: An Asia-Pacific perspective. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 16(3), 263–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695940903319646
Looney, J. W. (2005). Formative assessment: Improving learning in secondary classrooms. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 41. https://doi.org/10.1787/19939019
Popham, W. J. (2008). Transformative assessment. ASCD.
Remesal, A. (2011). Primary and secondary teachers’ conceptions of assessment: A qualitative study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(2), 472–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.09.017
Shute, V. J., & Rahimi, S. (2021). Review of computer-based assessment for learning in elementary and secondary education. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 40(1), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/emip.12301
Stiggins, R. J. (2002). Assessment crisis: The absence of assessment FOR learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(10), 758–765. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172170208301010
Volante, L., & Fazio, X. (2007). Exploring teacher candidates’ assessment literacy: Implications for teacher education reform and professional development. Canadian Journal of Education, 30(3), 749–770. https://doi.org/10.2307/20466661
Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Solution Tree Press.
Xu, Y., & Brown, G. T. L. (2017). University English teacher assessment literacy: A survey-test report from China. Language Testing in Asia, 7(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-017-0040-3
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
