Available online at: http://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/jpe Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 9 (2), 2021, 158-167 https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v9i2.36815 This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license. Pre-service primary school mathematics teachers’ beliefs on mathematics assessment Kimura Patar Tamba 1 , Wiputra Cendana 1 *, Adegoke Adegbite 2 1 Universitas Pelita Harapan. Jl. M. H. Thamrin Boulevard 1100 Lippo Village Tangerang 15811 - Indonesia 2 Texas A&M University. 400 Bizzell St, College Station, TX 77843, United States * Corresponding Author. E-mail: wiputra.cendana@gmail.com Received: 21 December 2020; Revised: 14 January 2021; Accepted: 18 March 2021 Abstract: Assessment is an important component in learning mathematics. The practice of mathematics assessment is influenced by teachers' beliefs about the assessment. This study aims to explore the beliefs of primary school mathematics teachers regarding mathematics assessment. The research used quantitative research methods using survey methods to 71 prospective elementary school mathematics teachers. Confi- dence data regarding mathematics assessment was collected using closed and open questionnaires based on a framework of productive beliefs and unproductive beliefs. Data from closed questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Meanwhile, open questionnaire data were analyzed using deductive coding method based on productive and unproductive beliefs. The results showed that prospective elementary school mathematics teachers held mixed beliefs in mathematics assessment. On the one hand, it can be said that the beliefs of prospective elementary school mathematics teachers regarding mathematics assessment tend to be contradictory. These results imply the importance of an attempt to intervene in the beliefs of prospective elementary school mathematics teachers regarding mathematics assessment. Thus, assessment practice can lead to productive assessment, which is to encourage meaningful mathematics learning. Keywords: assessment, mathematics, belief, practice How to Cite: Tamba, K., Cendana, W., & Adegbite, A. (2021). Pre-service primary school mathematics teachers’ beliefs on mathematics assessment. Jurnal Prima Edukasia, 9(2), 158- 167. doi:https://doi.org/10.21831/jpe.v9i2.36815 Introduction Assessment is an important component in mathematics education. All learning processes always involve assessment components and activities. An excellent mathematics program ensures that assessment is an integral part of teaching (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). NCTM defines assessment as a process of gathering evidence showing students’ knowledge of mathematics, their ability to use mathematics, and their disposition concerning mathematics, and then drawing a conclusion from the data, which are then used for various suitable purposes (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). Assessment can also be defined as the process of analyzing the students’ progress: whether they have learned everything that was expected (Baird et al., 2017). Zhao et al. (2016) defined assessment as a process where the students’ responses to stimuli (both stimuli that are specifically made for a certain purpose, or that occur spontaneously), are collected to draw conclusions about the students' knowledge and skills. In other words, there are at least two important elements in assessment: gathering evidence and making decisions based on that evidence. The aim of assessments is to support the learning process. One that affects the quality of learning is the quality of the assessment carried out (Brown, 2006). However, in reality, assessment often becomes an obstacle towards the development of students' mathematical abilities. This is because traditionally, assessment is considered to be a process that emphasizes the evaluation of student achieve- ment (eg. grading). It is even used to determine school rankings and teacher performance (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). This is contradictory to the fact that the current assessment reformation focuses on the continuous providing of knowledge and information to support the students’ and teachers’ learning and teaching process. This view differs from the fundamental view of assessment, where assessment is seen as a series of objective processes that together should be a tool for measuring students’ knowledge.