AUTHOR=Alsharefeen Rami , Al Sayari Naji , Al-Deaibes Mutasim 

TITLE=Navigating new territory: discourses of assessment moderation in UAE higher education

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Education

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1635619

DOI=10.3389/feduc.2025.1635619

ISSN=2504-284X

ABSTRACT=IntroductionThis study investigates faculty perceptions of discourses associated with assessment moderation at a higher education institution in the UAE.MethodologyThis study employed a survey incorporating closed- and open-ended components. Adie and her associates' (2013) framework of assessment moderation discourses was used as an analytical framework for qualitative data with the purpose of identifying the discourses faculty associate with the purposes of assessment moderation practice at the target institution.ResultsThe findings revealed community building as the most dominant discourse among faculty responses. Significantly, the study identified a fifth discourse category extending beyond the existing four-category framework: faculty resistance characterized by minimal or negligible valuation of assessment moderation practices. Approximately 25% of respondents questioned the fundamental pedagogical or institutional value of assessment moderation, suggesting theoretical gaps in current frameworks that assume universal acceptance of moderation principles.DiscussionThese findings advance assessment moderation theory by identifying a distinct faculty discourse characterized by the perception of minimal or negligible value in the moderation process. The study demonstrates that theoretical frameworks developed in Western educational contexts require substantial adaptation for diverse cultural and institutional settings. The research has significant implications for policy development and implementation of assessment moderation practices in higher education environments, highlighting the need for culturally responsive approaches to quality assurance in global academic settings.