Perspectives of teachers and students in the comprehensive evaluation of higher education processes

Abstract

In higher education, a persistent tension remains between declared formative assessment and predominant summative practices, creating gaps between teaching intention and students’ perceptions of fairness, coherence, and legitimacy of the assessment process. The study aimed to comparatively analyze faculty and students’ perceptions of assessment processes at the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters, and Education Sciences of the Central University of Ecuador. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive study was conducted with an intentional sample of 50 faculty members and 50 students. Validated semi-structured interviews were applied and analyzed through thematic coding in ATLAS.ti, constructing semantic networks to contrast perceptions of university assessment. The results reveal a hybrid assessment model, where formative approaches converge with summative practices; students emphasize clarity of criteria, fairness, and meaningful feedback, while faculty prioritize organization and technological support. Tensions persist between declared formative intention and lived assessment experience. The analyzed university assessment system reflects a transitional hybrid model, where gaps between formative intention and summative practice require greater institutional coherence and pedagogical legitimacy.