Assessment Clarity, Alignment, Fairness, and Feedback as Predictors of the Educational Assessment Effectiveness

Abstract

Educational assessment system is an important element in the educational context. It plays a critical role in guiding the teaching and learning process. As such, its effectiveness deserves recognition and investigation. This study aimed at investigating the predictors of the overall effectiveness of the educational assessment system as perceived by teachers. Four dimensions of the perceived quality of the educational assessment were considered. These were assessment clarity, alignment, fairness, and feedback. A descriptive correlational research design was conducted. Participants were 321 teachers from public schools in the Sultanate of Oman. A questionnaire was used to assess teachers’ perceptions. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were established. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that the four dimensions collectively explained 80% of the variance in teachers’ perceptions of the overall effectiveness of the educational assessment system. Feedback appeared to be the strongest predictor, followed by alignment, and fairness. The results highlight the key drivers for strengthening the utility, credibility, and validity of the educational assessment system. Implications for educational assessment practices as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.