There is a global trend in the increased adoption of e-assessment in school classrooms to enhance learning. Teachers, as classroom-based assessment designers and implementers, play a vital role in such assessment change. However, little is known about school teachers' classroom-based e-assessment practices and the underlying reasons. To address this research gap, this study identified the factors influencing Hong Kong primary school teachers' e-assessment practices underpinned by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). A large-scale survey was issued to 878 teachers via Qualtrics. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis shows that primary school teachers' intentions of using e-assessment and perceived behavioural control of it were the two strongest factors predicting their e-assessment practices in a general way. Specifically, teachers' intentions outweighed perceived behavioural control in determining their use of alternative e-assessment tasks and e-feedback, but this reversed for e-tests/exercises. The impact of perceived behavioural control was consistent across the three types of e-assessment practices. Furthermore, teachers' attitudes significantly influenced their intentions to use alternative e-assessment tasks, while subject norms primarily predicted their intentions to use e-feedback. The findings have implications for primary schools to take countermeasures to facilitate the successful implementation of e-assessment at the classroom level.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic E-assessment has the potential to influence learning. E-assessment has often been used in a controlled environment with a relatively small sample size. The past 3 years have seen a surge in discussions and research around using e-assessment in classroom settings, mostly in higher education. What this paper adds Primary school teachers used more e-tests or exercises than alternative e-assessment tasks and e-feedback in their daily teaching. Teachers' intentions

This study utilizes the 2015 data from the Hong Kong sample of the Program for International Student Assessment to examine the relative importance of various factors on the science learning performance of Hong Kong students. Using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), we examined the effect of students’ affective characteristics, involvement, and perceptions of science by parents and school environment on science achievement in Hong Kong. The results of HLM demonstrated that school characteristics explain 33% variance in science achievement, which indicates that school is a critical predicting factor in identifying science achievement. The findings highlighted that identifying as male, having high socioeconomic status (at the student and school levels), high self-efficacy, low test anxiety, less parental support, positive view of science by parents, more school resources, and less teacher autonomy positively influence the science achievement of students. In the final model, school-level predictors, such as disciplinary climate in science classes and teacher-directed science instruction, explained 58% of variance at the school level in positive directions. Lastly, the study discussed the implications of achievement gaps between gender and socioeconomic status and between parents and school influence. Copyright © 2024 Education Research Institute, Seoul National University.

Few studies have explored primary school teachers’ classroom-based online assessment practices and underlying reasons. To fill this research gap, this study interviewed 48 Hong Kong primary school teachers to understand their online assessment practices and influencing factors when they were obliged to use it in their daily instruction under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that the participants tended to use online tests/exercises for formative purposes instead of summative purposes. In addition, they tried online alternative assessment tasks, such as video or audio recordings, peer assessment and projects, and gave online feedback to students but less frequently than online tests/exercises. The school examination culture and the participants’ perceived limited control over online test fairness may have restricted their summative use of online tests/exercises. Meanwhile, the participants’ perceived positive usage norms, along with their favourable attitudes towards and confidence in using online tests/exercises probably enhanced their formative use of them. In addition, the participants’ perceived neutral usage norms and limited external control of online alternative assessment tasks and feedback seemed to impede their use of them in classrooms. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).

Portfolio assessment, as an alternative writing assessment approach, has received growing attention in the past few decades. Although the benefits of portfolio assessment are well validated, there is a dearth of empirical research on how portfolio assessment can be sustained over time and the support teachers need to sustain portfolio assessment practice in their teaching contexts. To fill this significant void, the present study examines the influences that contribute to the sustainability of portfolio assessment in second-language writing. Drawing on data from interviews with the principal, English department chair and four English teachers from one elementary school in Hong Kong, as well as classroom observation and teachers’ team meeting observation, the study revealed that administrators’ role in dispersing decision-making authority to teachers, exploiting learning opportunities and providing a stimulating environment for teachers, and the sharing of common vision and goals, as well as collective flows of learning among team members, are the cornerstone of transformation and sustainability for the practice of portfolio assessment. The paper concludes with practical implications on how the innovative attempts in portfolio assessment can be sustained over time. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).

Teacher assessment literacy has gained significant attention in recent years due to its critical role in learning and teaching. Various theoretical and empirical conceptualizations of this construct have been emerging with more recent emphasis on building teachers’ knowledge and skills. The aim is to make highly contextualized, fair, consistent and trustworthy assessment decisions to inform learning and teaching to effectively support both student and teacher learning. This article explores changes in secondary English language teachers’ assessment literacy following the introduction of school-based assessment for learning as part of high stakes secondary school assessment reform in Hong Kong. Drawing on teacher questionnaires completed by almost 4,500 teachers who undertook a common professional development course conducted over the first six years of assessment reform (2005 – 2011), this paper explores the impact of professional development on teachers’ assessment literacy. Despite Hong Kong’s deeply ingrained competitive examination-oriented culture, an analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data from pre- and post-program evaluations demonstrate signs of positive change in teacher attitudes, confidence and practices, in particular in using assessment criteria, designing and implementing appropriate assessment tasks, involving learners more actively in the assessment process, making trustworthy assessment decisions and providing effective feedback and feed-forward to students to improve student learning. The findings of the study suggest that changes in assessment culture are possible, provided teachers are well supported. The implications for assessment reform and for the development of teacher assessment literacy more generally are also discussed. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter.

Self-assessment is believed to complement peer assessment in the classroom. However, whether, how and why this is done remains unclear. This study, by investigating the combined use of self and peer assessment for an academic writing task among a group of undergraduate students in Hong Kong, aims to shed light on how self-assessment complements peer assessment. Self-assessment is found to complement peer assessment in five ways: (1) it guides students to revise when peer assessment is lacking; (2) self-assessment effectively supplements peer assessment when the students had access to peer assessment; (3) even if a student has access to quality peer assessment, self-assessment complements peer assessment due to the different reflection involved in the two processes; (4) self-assessment can supplement peer assessment in terms of issues related to social-affective burdens for the latter; (5) self-assessment also complements peer assessment in that it benefits high and low-achieving students. Two problems surfaced. One is the students' antipathy against self-assessment despite their overall positive perception about peer assessment; the other is the inadequacy of combining self with peer assessment in fostering learning outcomes regardless that the combined use of self and peer assessment helped the students with revision considerably. Copyright © 2023 Routledge.

This comparative study investigated the associations between instructional practices and students' reading performance among 10 top performing regions that participated in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. A nationally representative sample consisting of 80,016 15-year-old students from 5 Asian regions (B-S-J-Z [China], Singapore, Macao, Hong Kong, and Korea) and 5 Western regions (Estonia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, and Poland) were included. A secondary analysis of PISA survey and assessment data was conducted. T test and ANOVA analyses revealed systematic differences in instructional practices of the 10 regions. B-S-J-Z (China) had significantly higher levels of teacher support, teacher-directed instruction, and teacher stimulation than the other sample regions. Asian regions tended to have higher levels of teacher support, teacher-directed instruction, teacher feedback, adaptive instruction, and teacher enthusiasm compared with Western regions, although variations were also found within Asian regions or within Western regions. Hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analyses indicated that reading performance was positively predicted by teacher support, adaptive instruction, teacher stimulation, and teacher enthusiasm, but negatively predicted by teacher-directed instruction and teacher feedback. This study sheds light on the effective instructional practices for optimizing students' reading performance across different cultural contexts. Copyright © 2023 Springer Nature.

Despite the increasing use of virtual modalities in schools since the COVID-19 pandemic, no systematic tools exist to evaluate the process of online learning. We developed and validated an Online Learning Process Questionnaire (OLPQ) for assessing online at-home learning among 219 Hong Kong primary-school students and 474 caregivers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of caregivers' data classified the 58-item OLPQ into 11 subscales: (1) learning aims, (2) environmental structuring, (3) learning environment, (4) time management, (5) engagement in learning activities, (6) persistence, (7) interaction between teachers and students, (8) interaction among students, (9) feedback from the interface, (10) application of learning, and (11) meaning of learning under three learning phases. Confirmatory factor analysis of students' data further categorized the 11-subscale framework into three learning phases: preparatory, performance, and transfer. The OLPQ demonstrated excellent reliability and discriminant validity across caregiver (Cronbach's alpha = 0.98) and student samples (alpha = 0.98). These findings indicate that the OLPQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the online at-home learning process among both students and their caregivers. Copyright © 2023 Springer Nature.

Despite the increasing popularity of online learning in elementary and primary schools, it is unclear to which extent that students' attitudes toward online learning influence their learning progress and outcomes. In this study, the Online Learning Attitude Questionnaire (OLAQ) was developed and validated to measure students' online learning attitudes among 383 caregivers and 172 primary school students in Hong Kong. The caregiver data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis to establish the factor structure, reliability. and discriminant validity of the OLAQ questionnaire. The student data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis to cross-validate the factor structure and confirm the reliability and discriminant validity of the OLAQ. The final 34-item OLAQ questionnaire comprises five subscales including (1) enjoyment, (2) development, (3) motivation, (4) utilization, and (5) anxiety. These results indicate that the OLAQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing primary school students' attitudes toward online learning. Copyright © 2023 Taylor & Francis.

Synchronous online teaching through video-conferencing software (VCS) has become a common mode of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. This mode brings unique challenges for teachers that require specific professional digital competences. One such challenge is conducting formative assessment. Through the use of in-depth interviews with nine Hong Kong university teachers who had taught synchronously online for one semester, this exploratory study explored the challenges of conducting formative assessment during synchronous online lessons and the strategies teachers deploy to conduct formative assessment. The findings indicate that the key difficulties include gathering information on students' needs, checking students' understanding, giving individual feedback, and building relationships with students. To address these challenges, the teachers suggested four pedagogical strategies: (1) Combine synchronous with asynchronous approaches; (2) Utilise breakout rooms; (3) Utilise poll functions of the VCS and combine it with other online platforms; and (4) Provide time before or after lessons for informal conversations. The findings suggest that teachers need to develop specific pedagogical strategies to conduct formative assessment. This provides an initial conceptualisation of one important dimension of Professional Digital Competence, teaching using digital technologies, and one aspect of that dimension, how teachers use digital tools and strategies to conduct formative assessment. Copyright © 2023 Taylor & Francis.