From dual constraints to developmental pathways: a comprehensive study on assessment literacy of high school chemistry teachers in inquiry-based laboratory teaching

This study develops the Assessment Literacy Scale for High School Chemistry Teachers in Inquiry-Based Laboratory Teaching (ALS-HSCT-IBLT). The scale comprises a background survey, a five-point Likert scale on assessment philosophy and ethics, and an open-ended scale on assessment practice capability. It measures high school chemistry teachers’ assessment literacy in inquiry-based laboratory teaching. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the instruments were developed and refined through a pilot test (n = 75). In the second phase, the scales were administered in a formal test (n = 206), which confirmed their reliability and validity. The survey findings reveal that high school chemistry teachers generally exhibit a phenomenon of ‘high conception, low capability’ in IBLTAL. Attribution analysis indicates that this phenomenon arises from deficiencies in teachers’ assessment identity and pedagogical content knowledge in chemistry, coupled with the constraints imposed by the Gaokao-oriented external assessment culture on their professional autonomy. Based on this and the analysis of the impact of demographic variables (e.g. gender, teacher education background, length of service), a ‘pre-service foundation to in-service deepening’ development pathway was established, providing a clear operational framework for systematically enhancing assessment literacy of high school chemistry teachers in inquiry-based laboratory teaching.