ASSESSMENT VALIDITY AND EQUITY IN TECHNOLOGY‑ENHANCED AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND EVIDENCE‑INFORMED FRAMEWORK FOR DISTANCE TEACHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Traditional assessment in distance teacher education often yields evidence primarily of declarative knowledge, raising questions about whether it sufficiently captures the situated professional competencies needed for effective teaching. This systematic review synthesised evidence from 96 sources, reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020, to examine how Technology-Enhanced Authentic Assessment (TEAA) functions as a socio-technical practice shaping validity, equity, and sustainability in distance teacher education, focusing on Global South contexts. Thematic synthesis generated four analytical themes: evaluative affordances; teacher and learner outcomes; contextual and infrastructural constraints; and digital well-being as a condition for sustainability. Findings indicate that TEAA strengthens authentic evidence of professional competence when supported by equitable infrastructure, institutional capacity, assessment governance, and manageable workload though benefits remain conditional rather than automatic. The review contributes the TEAA Equity Paradox, identifying how unequal digital conditions may introduce construct-irrelevant variance, and proposes the TEAA Sustainability Framework to guide interpretation of conditions for valid, equitable, and sustainable implementation. Together, these contributions reposition assessment validity as a socio-technical challenge intersecting pedagogical, technological, institutional, and learner conditions.