Quality in Second Language Classroom Assessment: Controversies, Challenges, and the Need for Research on Teacher Conceptions and Practices

Assessment quality (AQ) refers to key factors such as validity, reliability, fairness, and trustworthiness, all of which are essential for making accurate inferences and fair decisions about individuals in both large-scale and classroom assessments. While perspectives on AQ in large-scale assessments have significantly evolved and expanded over the past century, an ongoing debate revolves around the extent to which AQ criteria, originally developed in and for large-scale assessment contexts, apply to the context of classroom assessments. This paper reviews various perspectives surrounding this question and explores how the distinctive characteristics of classroom assessment can impact the conceptualization and application of AQ. The paper also reviews the limited research on how teachers conceptualize and enact AQ in classroom assessment and highlights the need for more research to explore when, how, and why second language (L2) teachers consider and address AQ-related questions during the design, selection, and use of assessments in the L2 classroom. It is suggested that such research has the potential to contribute significantly to the development of a framework of AQ specifically tailored to L2 classroom assessment practices.