Where Student Teachers Struggle: Scoring Accuracy and Feedback Quality as a Function of Text Level, Rubric Criteria,...

Although student teachers often report low confidence in writing assessments, empirical evidence regarding the behavioral and cognitive mechanisms affecting their evaluative judgments remains limited. This study investigated the evaluative behavior of 161 student teachers, yielding 1932 scoring observations and 2415 coded feedback segments. Fluctuations in scoring accuracy and feedback quality were examined as a function of text proficiency levels, scoring criteria, and feedback dimensions. Participants evaluated three Grade 9 argumentative texts (low-, mid-, and high-level) using a four-criterion analytic rubric. Participants' writing quality and empathy (cognitive and affective) were analyzed as potential moderators. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that scoring accuracy is a function of the interaction between text proficiency level and criterion: accuracy was highest for focus in high-level texts and organization in low-level texts. Feedback quality also varied significantly across dimensions: evaluation quality and rubric-aligned explanations were weakest for mid-range texts, reflecting potential evaluative strain when navigating text ambiguity. While student-teachers' writing quality showed no significant effects, their cognitive empathy moderated text-level effects and positively predicted feedback quality. These findings illuminate the psychological underpinnings of rater cognition, providing a foundation for targeted pedagogical interventions in teacher education programs.