Assessment literacy and its impact on trainee teachers' assessment practices in a teacher education programme in HE: a co-creative process.

This study aimed to investigate the similarities and differences in trainee teachers’ assessment practices and how they can develop these practices with other teachers. Assessment is central to the quality of learning in the classroom and teachers use formative assessments to gather information about students’ learning (DeLuca et al., 2019; Siarova et al., 2017). Formative assessment or assessment for learning as used interchangeably in this study is a priority for teachers, and their assessment literacy informs this. Pastore’s (2023) comprehensive systematic review on assessment literacy revealed the need for cross-fertilisation by encouraging research between teacher education and educational assessment bridging the theory and practice gap. This becomes urgent for Higher Education educators in Initial Teacher Training to support trainee teachers in developing their pedagogical knowledge of assessments, making this study crucial in the co-creation of an assessment framework with trainee teachers. Schildkamp et al. (2020) argue that only when proper support is planned for, and the factors that enable the use of formative assessments are in place, can formative assessments improve students’ learning and achievement. Therefore, in working with the trainee teachers to co-create an assessment framework, this study adopted Buck et al’s (2010) theoretical framework on assessments to help them understand the purpose of formative assessment and relate it to students’ conceptual development, use outcomes for instructional planning and demonstrate an understanding of relational processes inherent to formative assessments. This study was inspired by a constructivist approach to learning and drew on the realities of trainee teachers' practices of assessments in everyday classrooms. Data was collected through interviews, focus groups and lesson observations. The data was analysed following an inductive thematic analysis. The study revealed some interesting outcomes on assessments such as being a mastery teaching process and the dichotomisation of assessment strategies. The trainee teachers co-created an assessment framework that has been included in the course module. The study recommended coordinated collaborative professional development support for trainee teachers by the university and their school placements.