Decoding Chinese undergraduates’ conceptions of assessment: A repeated measures replication study of the C-SCoA inventory

Abstract

How students understand the nature and purpose of assessment can be evaluated with the Chinese Student Conceptions of Assessment (C-SCoA) inventory, developed for the Chinese context. To date, surveyed samples have not included undergraduate bachelor’s degree students, nor has test-retest reliability been demonstrated. The present study provides partial validation evidence of the C-SCoA for research purposes by surveying 448 undergraduate students (split into honours and ordinary groups) at an elite Chinese university. An eight-factor correlated model with 26 items was preferred compared to the previously reported hierarchical, eight-factor, 33-item model. Invariance testing after one semester found scalar equivalence, a promising development for the application of the C-SCoA as a research tool in Chinese higher education. Results corresponded to previous studies of Chinese students’ conceptions of assessment as being reliable, relevant, competitive, and social tools but with little impact from families.