The impact of teacher autonomy support on students’ assessment literacy: The chain mediating effects of self-efficacy and critical reflection

Abstract

In the realm of classroom assessment, the shift towards “assessment as learning” underscores the pivotal role of students in developing assessment literacy. This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature by examining the understudied area of students' assessment literacy. The author introduces a novel chain mediation effect structure model to investigate the interactions between teacher autonomy support, self-efficacy, critical reflection, and students' assessment literacy. The sample comprises 704 high school students from central China, with an even gender distribution (321 boys and 383 girls), which provides a robust dataset for analysis. By utilizing the Student Evaluative Scale, Critical Reflection Scale, and Self-Efficacy Scale, the study reveals a significant and positive correlation between teacher autonomy support and the level of assessment literacy among students. Furthermore, the findings indicate that self-efficacy and critical reflection act as mediators in the relationship between teacher autonomy support and students' assessment literacy. This suggests that educators who foster an environment of autonomy, empowering students to take ownership of their learning, can significantly enhance students' belief in their own abilities (self-efficacy) and their capacity for reflective thinking, thereby improving students’ assessment literacy. The study concludes with concrete suggestions for classroom practice and identifies avenues for future research to further refine our understanding of the complex interplay between teacher support, student self-efficacy, critical reflection, and assessment literacy.