Through the lens of justice. A systematic review on equity and fairness in learning assessment

Abstract

Empirical and theoretical studies have highlighted the need to investigate the implications of the introduction of the issue of justice in education. However, little is known about the specific field of learning assessment and about the possible enhancement for assessment processes when inspired by discourses about justice, equity and fairness. What does it mean to rethink assessment through the lens of justice? The present paper aims to uncover key information related to this issue with the aim to provide greater understanding about how to build more equitable assessment practices. The PRISMA guidelines were adopted. Internet-based bibliographic searches were conducted via 2 major electronic databases (ERIC and Education Source) to access studies examining the association between the issues of justice, fairness and equity in assessment. A total of 26 empirical studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. The studies reported the attention to both well as a focus on addressing diversity in the classroom moving away from a model of adjustments and reasonable accommodations towards an equitable and universal assessment. Additional research is important to clarify these issues and an important effort should be made to construct better assessment practices based on students and teachers' perceptions of justice.