The Role of Teacher Identity in Assessment Decision-Making
Keywords:
teacher identity, assessment decision-making, qualitative research, formative assessment, professional beliefs, secondary education, Iranian teachersAbstract
This study aimed to explore how secondary school teachers’ professional identities influence their decision-making processes in classroom assessment practices. Using a qualitative design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 secondary school teachers in Tehran, selected through purposive sampling. The participants represented a range of subject areas, teaching experiences, and school types. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically using NVivo software. The coding process followed open, axial, and selective coding strategies to extract key themes and subthemes grounded in participants' narratives. The analysis yielded four overarching categories: professional beliefs and values, personal teaching philosophy, sociocultural context and norms, and identity development over time. Teachers’ assessment decisions were strongly shaped by ethical considerations, a commitment to fairness, learner-centered pedagogies, and their evolving self-concept as educators. Participants reported frequent tension between institutional mandates and personal assessment beliefs, navigating external pressures from school leadership, curriculum standards, and parental expectations. Over time, teachers’ assessment practices evolved as they gained experience, reflected on critical incidents, and participated in professional learning communities. Teacher identity was shown to mediate the balance between formative and summative practices and guided adaptive responses to contextual challenges. The findings highlight the central role of teacher identity in shaping assessment decisions, emphasizing that assessment is not a purely technical process but a reflection of who teachers are and what they value. Educational reforms aimed at improving assessment practices must consider the identity-based dimensions of assessment literacy. Supporting teachers’ reflective engagement with their professional identity can foster more authentic, ethical, and context-sensitive assessment approaches.
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