Exploring ethical perceptions in EFL classroom assessment: perspectives of Chinese secondary school teachers

This article employs a mixed-method approach and investigates the perceptions of Chinese secondary-school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers regarding ethical issues in classroom assessment practices. It examines the agreement of 927 teachers from across 31 provinces in China with the judgment of previous researchers on 14 classroom assessment scenarios that illustrate both ethical and unethical assessment practices. The findings show a high level of agreement with experts’ views on eight scenarios, intermediate level on four, and low level on two. Within the Chinese educational context, it is evident that besides demographic factors, such as gender, years of teaching, educational backgrounds, etc., societal and cultural factors, teachers’ educational values and philosophies, the macro-level assessment requirements set by educational authorities and parental involvement, all significantly shape teachers’ ethical perceptions. This study advocates that guidance on making rational ethical judgments in classroom assessment be incorporated into teacher training curricula to empower teachers’ ability to deal with ethical dilemmas. It also suggests the establishment of regulatory frameworks, which delineates the rights and responsibilities of parents, teachers and educational administrations, ensuring that teachers retain their autonomy in classroom assessment.