Abstract
Research on teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ conceptions of assessment (CoA) has so far focused on assessment purposes and uses. However, recent decades have seen significant changes in assessment approaches that require a deeper examination of the nature and aspects of assessment concepts. The current study is a continuation of a previous qualitative study that analyzed the COA of 94 Israeli pre-service teachers before and after an assessment course. In this study, we examined these data extensively to identify and formulate key dimensions of assessment conception. Qualitative analysis of the rich datasets, including metaphors, indicates the diversity and complexity of the assessment concept. Five dimensions of conceptions were identified: (1) complexity of the assessment process, (2) emotional attitude toward assessment, (3) assessment uses and purposes, (4) teacher-student relationship in the assessment context, and (5) criticism of the educational system. The findings expand previous conceptualizations of assessment concepts and may develop a broad model and instruments for measuring CoA. This implication is significant in this era of paradigmatic shifting in the assessment field. Keywords: conceptions of assessment, student assessment, pre-service teachers, dimensions, metaphors