Efficacy of Formative Classroom Assessments in Theory and Practice

Abstract

The articles which constitute the core of this dissertation orbit, either explicitly or implicitly, around the "theory of formative assessment". This conception is, at the theoretical level, a blend of socio-cultural and socio-cognitive perspectives. Accordingly, the theory of formative assessment holds that (1) thinking and learning processes are supported when students are given information and feedback regarding the learning criteria and standards by which they are assessed; and (2) when there is subsequent use of that feedback by students and teachers as they plan the next steps of the learning process together. Each article is intended for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers, and together they represent a methodological progression which begins with a discussion on theories that underpin formative assessment, and their implications for teaching methods and learning strategies. The second article presents a detailed case-study of the implementation of formative assessment in the Scottish region of the UK. The third and final article in the set employs a grounded theory (GT) method to build a theoretical framework to explain how the theory of formative assessment promotes self-regulated learning (SRL) in public school (K-12) classrooms.