From workshop to classroom: implementation of new assessment practices by chemistry faculty members at two-year institutions

We report a qualitative investigation of enacted assessment practices among chemistry faculty members at two-year institutions who participated in a professional development program. Thirty-six faculty members attended a two-day assessment workshop followed by monthly discussions; eight consented to participate in the study. Data included a pre-interview survey, course syllabi, sample examinations, and semi-structured interviews focused on a single course taught by the participant: i.e., a general chemistry, organic chemistry, or general-organic- biochemistry course. Using deductive coding guided by the teacher-centered systemic reform (TCSR) model, we examined how context, teacher thinking, and personal factors shaped assessment development, administration, scoring, and post-administration use of evidence. Participants reported greater alignment between learning outcomes and examinations, increased attention to single-construct item writing, expanded use of partial credit, and more systematic, though modest use of item and test statistics to revise questions and instruction. In contrast, institutional policies, time, workloads, student preparation, instructor identity, and local assessment cultures limited full implementation of workshop knowledge and skills. Findings illustrate assessment reform as incremental, teacher-centered, and context responsive and suggest principles for the design of professional development experiences and future science education research.