Through student eyes: Assessment conceptions and quality assurance

Recent reforms of higher education systems in Europe, since the implementation of the Bologna Process, encourage teachers to incorporate a range of assessment practices that should be more responsive to students’ learning needs. Over the years, an extensive body of literature has been produced regarding principles and practice guidelines for the assessment of students’ learning outcomes. However, what are students’ conceptions of assessment? The present article, given the strong drive to understand the role that conceptions have in educational practices, focuses on students’ conceptions of assessment within the Italian higher education system. More specifically, this paper reports on a research study realised through the administration of the Students’ Conceptions of Assessment Inventory (SCoA). The data were analysed using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) design. This study represents a useful step in understanding conceptions that students have of assessment within the framework of quality assurance. Results of the study may set the groundwork for a critical debate on changes and improvements in the higher education field.