Mobilizing multiple assessment metaphors over a teaching sequence: a cross-sectional study of pre-service teachers’ conceptions

This study investigates how pre-service teachers at different stages of their training conceptualize assessment across a four-phase teaching sequence. Drawing on the framework of evaluative activity and using metaphor-based reasoning, we examined participants’ selection of assessment stances. A cross-sectional design compared cohorts at the beginning and end of a teacher education program. Results show that participants nearing the end of training selected a greater variety of metaphors and distributed them more broadly across instructional phases. These findings suggest that teacher education fosters an important marker of conceptual flexibility — conceptual richness, defined as the ability to articulate and apply multiple perspectives to a given situation — which serves as a foundation for reflective assessment practices. The study highlights the value of metaphors as tools for accessing implicit conceptions and supporting reflective practice. Implications for teacher education include integrating metaphor-based activities to promote nuanced understanding and flexible use of assessment in varied teaching contexts.