Design and Validation of a Measurement Tool for Teacher Skills in the Descriptive Assessment of Mathematics Lessons in Primary School

Background and Objectives: Assessment is an important aspect of improving the educational system, and also one of the effective factors in improving learning in the classroom. However, one of the main challenges is teachers’ lack of necessary skills to perform effective evaluation. The role of mathematics in students' educational and vocational achievements is undeniable, but the lack of regulation and a specific approved framework along with standard tools to measure teaching skills in descriptive assessment of mathematics, has caused serious challenges in the educational system in Iran. Given the importance of mathematics in elementary education and the critical role of teacher competencies in effective teaching and assessing it, this study aimed to design and validate a measurement tool for teacher skills in descriptive assessment of mathematics.
Methodology: This study employed a mixed-method design based on an inductive qualitative approach, and was conducted in three phases: a systematic literature review, fuzzy Delphi process with the contribution of 18 experts, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using data from 385 elementary teachers selected from all over the country through simple random sampling.
Findings: Ultimately 21 skills were identified and categorized into four overarching domains: Knowledge of descriptive assessment, application of assessment tools, analysis and presentation skills, and mathematical perception. The developed questionnaire demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability indices (CVR > 0.51, CVI > 0.79, Cronbach’s alpha > 0.80, CFI= 0.89).
Conclusion: The validated instrument provides a standardized measure of teacher skills in descriptive mathematical assessment and can be effectively applied in managerial, educational, and research contexts