Rethinking Assessment: From Measuring to Promoting Critical Competencies

The main theme-problem addressed in the technical report is related to university professors' social representations of assessment in higher education. The investigation seeks to understand how these professors interpret and apply the concept of assessment in their pedagogical practices. This issue is crucial because assessment is viewed not merely as a tool for measuring performance but as a dynamic process involving the construction of meanings and the development of competencies for both teachers and students.

The general objective of the study is to investigate how university professors perceive and structure their assessment practices. To achieve this, the research aims to: (1) identify the central and peripheral elements in the social representations of professors regarding assessment; (2) analyze variations in perceptions among professors from different areas of knowledge; and (3) discuss the implications of these perceptions for pedagogical practice and teacher training.

Regarding data replicability, the technique used was the Free Word Association Technique (TALP), which allows data collection by having participants list words associated with the central theme. This method is highly replicable and can be applied in various academic and institutional contexts, as long as the focus remains on the social representations of specific groups. The data analysis was facilitated by the IRaMuTeQ software, a robust and freely accessible tool, which enabled the prototypical analysis of social representations. Therefore, the study can be replicated in other higher education institutions, or even at other educational levels, provided that the central theme is adjusted to the audience and context in question.

The analysis of the results was conducted through Prototypical Analysis, identifying the most frequently evoked words and terms related to the concept of assessment. The analysis was divided into quadrants, highlighting the Central Core, Peripheral Elements, and Contrast Zones of social representations. This approach offered an in-depth understanding of the more stable elements and those more susceptible to contextual variations, making it applicable in other settings where assessment practices are studied.