The Development and Application of Rubrics in Education: A Scopus-Based Systematic Literature Review (2016–2026)

Ahmad Hanafi Nurmawansyah; Aji Joko Budi Pramono

doi:10.56393/pedagogi.v6i2.4440

Authors

Ahmad Hanafi Nurmawansyah UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7013-8407
Aji Joko Budi Pramono UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3808-6738

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56393/pedagogi.v6i2.4440

Keywords:

Rubric, Educational Assessment, Systematic Literature Review, Evaluation, Scopus

Abstract

Rubric is an assessment instrument that plays a central role in supporting transparency and consistency of evaluation in education. This study aims to map the development, application, and effectiveness of rubrics in education through the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A literature search was conducted using keywords ("rubric" AND "education") in the Scopus database selected for its broad coverage of high-quality international journals and its concentration of Q1 and Q2 publications in education yielding 186 initial records. After selection stages based on the 2016–2026 range, Q1–Q4 journal rankings, abstract availability, and full-text feasibility screening using the Watase Uake automated SLR tool, a total of 13 articles were selected as the corpus of analysis. Given the single-database approach, these findings should be understood as representative of high-impact Scopus-indexed literature rather than an exhaustive mapping of the entire rubric research field. The results show that the development and use of rubrics in education has increased significantly in the last decade, with diverse focuses including: (1) competency-based formative assessment; (2) self-assessment and self-directed learning; (3) integration of artificial intelligence in automated assessment; and (4) cross-disciplinary competency development covering the fields of STEAM, bioinformatics, and language education. Methodologically, the research analyzed was dominated by qualitative approaches and instrument development, followed by quantitative and mixed methods, with most research conducted in higher education contexts. These findings imply the need for more systematic standardization in rubric development, strengthening educators' capacity to use rubrics as learning tools, and further exploration of the role of technology in educational evaluation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Andrade, H. L. (2019). A critical review of research on student self-assessment. Frontiers in Education, 4, Article 87. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00087

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102

Brookhart, S. M. (2013). How to create and use rubrics for formative assessment and grading. ASCD.

Brufau Alvira, N., Bannister, P., & Santamaría Urbieta, A. (2025). Validating the PANDORA GenAI vulnerability rubric for higher education assessment: A field test of all BA translation and interpreting assignments. Higher Education Quarterly, 79(2), 145–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12500

Freitas, D. de, Calafell, G., & Pierson, A. H. C. (2022). Rubric to evaluate critical science education for sustainability. Sustainability, 14(3), Article 1697. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031697

Gough, D., Oliver, S., & Thomas, J. (Eds.). (2017). An introduction to systematic reviews (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Isusi-Fagoaga, R., & García-Aracil, A. (2020). Assessing master students' competencies using rubrics: Lessons learned from future secondary education teachers. Sustainability, 12(22), Article 9561. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229561

Kaldaras, L., Yoshida, N. R., & Haudek, K. C. (2022). Rubric development for AI-supported three-dimensional constructed response assessment aligned with NGSS learning progressions. Frontiers in Education, 7, Article 875678. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.875678

Karaman, P. (2024). Effects of rubric use in self-assessment with instructor feedback on pre-service teachers' academic performance, self-regulated learning and self-assessment perceptions. European Journal of Educational Psychology, 17(1), 23–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-023-00720-6

Mang, H. M. A., Chu, H. E., Martin, S. N., & Kim, C. J. (2024). Developing an evaluation rubric for planning and assessing SSI-based STEAM programs in science classrooms. Research in Science Education, 54(1), 89–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-023-10125-x

Messick, S. (1995). Validity of psychological assessment: Validation of inferences from persons' responses and performances as scientific inquiry into score meaning. American Psychologist, 50(9), 741–749. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.50.9.741

Nadolski, R. J., Hummel, H. G. K., Rusman, E., & Ackermans, K. (2021). Rubric formats for formative assessment of oral presentation skill acquisition in secondary education. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 1965–1986. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10021-9

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Panadero, E., & Jonsson, A. (2020). A critical review of the arguments against the use of rubrics. Educational Research Review, 30, Article 100329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100329

Phuong, H. Y., The, T. T., & Pham, T. T. (2025). Assessment for learning or assessment for grading: Washback of analytic rubrics in Vietnamese EFL classrooms. Language Testing in Asia, 15(1), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-025-00310-5

Popham, W. J. (2011). Assessment literacy overlooked: A teacher educator's confession. The Teacher Educator, 46(4), 265–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2011.605048

Radovic, S., & Seidel, N. (2025). Introducing the SRL-S rubric for evaluating innovative higher educational technology for self-regulated learning. Innovative Higher Education, 50(1), 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09720-8

Reddy, Y. M., & Andrade, H. (2010). A review of rubric use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(4), 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930902862859

Scott, B. (2020). Practical rubrics for informal science education studies: (1) STEM research design rubric for assessing study design and (2) STEM impact rubric for measuring evidence of impact. Frontiers in Education, 5, Article 54. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2020.00054

Tractenberg, R. E. (2021). Assessment evaluation rubric: Promoting learner-centered teaching and learning through assessment in face-to-face or distance higher education. Education Sciences, 11(8), Article 390. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080390

Tractenberg, R. E., Lindvall, J. M., Attwood, T. K., & Via, A. (2019). Guidelines for curriculum and course development in higher education and training. PLOS ONE, 14(3), Article e0212703. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212703

Wiggins, G. (1998). Educative assessment: Designing assessments to inform and improve student performance. Jossey-Bass.

Xu, W., Kassim, M. S. S., Hoo, W. L., Yang, W., & Xu, T. (2025). Explainable AI for education: Improving essay scoring through rubric-aligned chain-of-thought prompting. International Journal of Modern Physics C, 36(4), Article 2550038. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0129183125500385