The Role of Formative Assessments in Improving Student Learning

The role of formative assessments
THE ROLE OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
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The role of formative assessments
INTRODUCTION
Formative assessments refers to various methods the teachers use to carry out an ongoing process
test on students’ ability to comprehend, learning needs as well as the progress in their academics
during either a unit, course of study or lesson. They aid the teachers in identification of concepts
which students struggle to grasp, not yet achieved learning standards or the skills they find
difficult to acquire. Consequently, this leads to implementing necessary adjustments in
instructional techniques, academic support as well as adjusting the lessons (Regeir, 2018).
Formative assessments aim at gathering useful, valid and reliable information concerning the
students’ learning process so as to:
 Check on the achievement of the student relating to the outcomes
 Offer ongoing response to students so as to make improvement on learning
 Guide future opportunities of teaching as well as learning.
In regard to the above aims of assessment, the assessment activity type as well as the way in
which the learning evidence will be collected will be different on the basis of the following;
 Evidence that is intended to be collected
 Learning as well as teaching activity
 Outcomes being assessed
 The needs of the student in the process of learning
 Context
Learners need therefore availing of opportunities so as to showcase the process of their learning
by various activities for assessing as portion of an ongoing process. For all the assessment
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The role of formative assessments
strategies chosen by the teacher, it is important to make the assessment activities accessible to
each and every student.
Different strategies for assessment may help the teacher in;
 Planning and gathering reliable and valid indicators that show that the manner in which
the student is learning
 Considering that both formal as well as informal evidences are balanced.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The practice of assessing the learning process was understood initially to be formative
assessment which was then contrasted with summative assessment. Summative as well as
formative were terms proposed by Michael Scriven in 1967 with the aim of clarifying two
distinct roles which the process of evaluation could play in assessing curriculum. Benjamin
Bloom together with his colleagues in the years that followed (1969; 1971) proposed application
of the same distinction in evaluating the level of students’ learning- this is what is known
currently as assessment. (William, 2006, p283). This led the terms summative and formative
becoming fundamental in understanding of assessment in education. On one hand summative
assessment is focused on summarizing or summing up achievements of schools, classes, or
students. (Bloom, Hastings, & Madus 1971 in National Research Council- NRC- 2001).
Formative assessment is centred on active feedback loops which enhance learning process (Black
& William, 2003)
In the subsequent years after identification by Scriven and extension by Bloom of formative and
summative assessment types, more interest and thus investment has been aligned to summative
assessment in comparison with formative assessment type. (Stiggins, 2005). William and Black
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The role of formative assessments
(2003) detailed the pros and cons of formative form of assessment 1970s until later in 1980s.
Towards the end of 1980s there was publishing of two articles (Natriello 1987 and Crooks 1988)
as well as a seminal article about the formative assessment roles in developing expertise (Sdaler,
1989) which scaled up the learning assessment interest. This rising interest was apparently
backed up by Fuschs and Fuschs’ (1986) meta-analysis as well as Black and Wiliam’s (1998)
who comprehensively reviewed articles numbering close to two hundred and fifty. The two
researches significantly recorded positive gains in learning by the students. The 1998 work of
Black and Wiliam posted positive standard deviation of more than half, whereby low achieving
students posted highest improvement. Despite Dunn and Mulvenon in 2009 disagreeing with the
findings of the two research studies above, further research undertaken recently as well has
indicated beneficial outcome regarding learning by the student such as (Ruiz- Primo & Furtak,
2006). In addition, Dunn together with Mulvenon failed to identify any instances where
formative assessment produced achievement outcomes which are negative.
Agreement emerged concerning possible formative assessment practice benefits, and
furthermore, generally most researchers have agreed concerning formative assessment being the
process whereby data on students’ learning is used during teaching to arrive at informed
decisions which in turn boost learning according to Atkin, Black & Coffey (2001); Black, 1993;
Bell & Cowie 2001; Black and colleagues, 2003; Black & Wiliam, 1998; Shepherd, 2000). The
manner of understanding formative assessment process, integrated and implemented still varies
somehow, all the researchers listed above concur that administering tests on regular basis as well
as making students aware of what they have scored does not necessarily form part of the process
of formative assessment. In lieu, Black and colleagues established indication of understanding as
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The role of formative assessments
well as learning by the student gotten from one cycle in formative assessment must be applied to
fit in the work of teaching to address the needs in learning.
Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers State Collaborative (FAST SCASS) which
brought together Chief State Officers comprising of both national and international researchers in
formative assessment in 2007 realized and established five aspects of formative assessment
process in earlier publishing which are;
 Indicators-based feedback connected with the desired outcomes of instructions as well as
success criteria must be availed to students
 Identification and communication to students concerning goals in learning as well as
success criteria must be clear.
 Progressions in learning process must clearly link other goals to the major goal of the
learning
 Self- as well as peer-assessments are significant in offering students opportunities to
enable them meta-cognitively think about their acquisition of knowledge and skills.
 Establishment of a culture in the classroom that cohesively bring together teachers as
well as students to work hand in hand in the process of learning.
DISCUSSION
This action research (a discourse which seeks to integrate action and knowledge through a
cyclical and participatory process.) focused on the best formative assessment strategies that can
evaluate the level of understanding of foreign language MFL in this case learning of French
language and smooth transition of about 9 Year-6 pupils to secondary level at year 7. It also
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The role of formative assessments
focused on how the achieved level of understanding can be continued in secondary school by the
aforementioned class of students.
With the day-to-day advancement and sensitization of globalization, there is a very important
need of students to learn and become well knowledgeable in one or more language such as
French alongside English in the course of their kindergarten through grade 12 educational
experience. (Regeir-, 2012). Acquisition of a second language (Modern Foreign Language-
MFL) boosts students’ intellectual skills, enhances the understanding of cultures and as well
increases their earning power. Therefore each student has a right to take advantage of the
opportunity to master a second language. Students taught additional languages are advantaged by
learning skills that enable them to realize success in other academic subjects. They are indeed
informed on the interconnection among all people of different social, economic, religious as well
as political backgrounds. Thus, they get motivated and will study more concerning the
geography, music art and history about people of whom their languages, they are learning.
Indeed, understanding additional foreign languages prepare the students for success and for life a
swell in this twenty-first century. However, for the pupils to be proficiently taught any foreign
language and specifically French language, fundamental changes in teaching and learning
activities must be effected. What will inform the changes to be effected concerning the students’
learning of foreign language are feedback attained by undertaking evaluation to check the
students’ understanding level and as well check which are the best learning styles that enable
students to be truly proficient in French language.
Pupils and students learning foreign language are set to achieve proficiency in speaking in,
listening to, writing in as well as reading in another language. Teachers are tasked with imparting
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