Assessment for learning in a Confucian-influenced culture: beyond the summative/formative binary

Assessment for Learning (AfL) describes the powerful role assessment plays in shaping how and what students learn. AfL is associated with formative assessment and is placed in contrast to the summative role of certification. This article, however, focuses on AfL in Confucian-influenced cultures and finds that this summative/formative binary does not hold. While in western countries the embrace of AfL is associated with challenging the former dominance of examinations, this is not true of a place such as Hong Kong. This article explores this paradox of a commitment to AfL and a continuing belief in examinations. By qualitatively investigating the perceptions and attitudes towards AfL of students, educators and managers, we find that their expansive understanding of the educational merits of examinations explains this paradox. The lessons that arise, including how to further enhance AfL through practical frameworks and/or policies, have relevance in both Confucian-influenced and non-Confucian-influenced contexts.