Teacher assessment literacy and learning recovery: an exploratory study in upper secondary schools

Journal title CADMO
Author/s Valeria Damiani, Franco Passalacqua
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/2
Language Italian Pages 27 P. 9-35 File size 340 KB
DOI 10.3280/CAD2025-002002
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In the Italian educational context, addressing learning gaps and preven-ting school dropout are top priorities. This exploratory study, part of the “Formative Assessment and Learning Recovery” project in the Autonomous Province of Trento, aims to map teachers’ assessment competences (asses-sment literacy) and their conceptions of assessment. Furthermore, it investi-gates how upper secondary schools organize and implement remedial tests for students with learning deficits. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 481 teachers from 20 secondary schools. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and mixed-effects models to estimate the variance at the school level. The findings indicate overall good levels of assessment literacy among teachers, particularly in direct assessment actions like formulating objectives and de-signing tests. However, a lack of proficiency was found in basic statistics and measurement. A conception of “assessment for learning” predominates across the sample. Regarding remedial practices, while test design and crite-ria definition often involve departmental collaboration, the analysis of results remains a largely individual task. Significant differences between schools emerged in the shared use of assessment criteria and the methods of provi-ding feedback to students. Future interventions should focus on strengthening data-driven asses-sment skills and promoting greater collegiality in the analysis of learning outcomes to ensure more effective recovery strategies.

Keywords: assessment literacy, formative assessment, learning recovery, se-condary education, teachers’ assessment competences

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Valeria Damiani, Franco Passalacqua, Competenze valutative degli insegnanti e recupero delle carenze: uno studio esplorativo nella scuola secondaria superiore della provincia autonoma di Trento in "CADMO" 2/2025, pp 9-35, DOI: 10.3280/CAD2025-002002