Fairness as a multifaceted quality in classroom assessment

Fairness is an essential and enduring ideal in education, but it has not been clearly defined for the dynamics of classroom assessment. This paper aims to contribute to the reconceptualization of fairness as multifaceted quality in classroom assessment where the primary purpose is to support student learning. This multi-case study elicited the phronesis (practical wisdom) of six purposefully selected teachers in Ontario, Canada. They responded to fairness issues in written vignettes, and then discussed their concerns and gave recommendations for fair assessment during interviews. The participants emphasized different aspects of fairness with the most prominent involving students' opportunities to learn and demonstrate learning, transparency, the classroom environment, critical reflection, and the tension between equal and equitable treatment in assessment.