Process-Based Assessment in Secondary School Music Education: Teachers' Perceptions and Challenges

This study investigates middle and high school music teachers’ experiences with process-based assessment, focusing on its effectiveness and practical challenges. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine music teachers working in the Seoul metropolitan and central regions, and the data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The findings reveal that process-based assessment was implemented in various ways, depending on each teacher’s educational context. It contributed to assessing students’ musical growth and learning attitudes, improving fairness and reliability in evaluation, and providing personalized feedback. However, several difficulties were also identified, including limited instructional time, challenges in offering individual feedback, and lack of tools for documenting learning processes. These limitations suggest the need for institutional support to facilitate effective implementation. Specifically, development of digital assessment support systems and expansion of professional development programs are necessary to support sustainable and meaningful use of process-based assessment in music education classrooms.