Formative Assessment: Its Role for Teachers and Students
Submitted by
DOMINIQUE G. BATADLAN
Master of Education major in Advance Teaching
Submitted to
ISMAIL YUKSEL
Instructor
EDUC 5440-01 Assessment and Evaluation
November 28, 2024
A teaching-learning process called formative assessment is use to track ongoing
improvements in student mental capability, comprehension and instructional strategy
modification. It has remained contentious whether it is more for teachers than the students. For
these reasons, this essay is to advance the discussion of the claim, giving examples and
contrasting with the various ways in which formative assessments equally empower students.
Formative Assessments: More Formative for Teachers?
As stated in the phrase "formative assessments are more formative for teachers than for
students," formative assessments serve as the foundation for instruction by informing teachers
about student thinking, mistakes, and misconceptions, as well as where they require assistance.
To examine students' grasp of fractions, a math instructor may administer brief quizzes or
involve them in think-pair-share exercises. If the majority show confusion, a teacher will correct
their instructional strategy and apply models or manipulatives to help students understand.
This flexibility shows how such evaluations are formative for teachers, as they produce
actionable information to inform instruction (Black & Wiliam, 1998). Teachers would go on to
teach instruction that lacks alignment with students' needs without formative assessments,
thereby increasing the gap in learning. The other valuable outcome from this type of assessment
is that it allows for differential instruction based on varied student abilities, meaning that all
students are given suitable challenge (Brookhart, 2011).
Formative Assessments: Equally Formative for Students
Although teachers also gain massive advantages through formative assessment, such
assessment is more transformative for the learners. It allows learners to be involved in their
educational process; learners are given clarity on how good they are and how they should
improve when such assessment is timely, which contributes to a growth mindset (Sadler, 1989).
For example, in a science class, when lab reports are given detailed feedback, then lab report-
writers understand how to make improvement in the design of experiment or how to analyze data
in the next assignment.
The formative assessments also promote metacognition, helping students to self-assess
and regulate their learning strategies. This is through peer evaluations or self-reflection journals
that will help the students set goals and own their progress (Heritage, 2010). Students can take
ownership of their learning due to active engagement in the loop of giving feedback, thus
improving the outcomes.
Balancing the Benefits
The debate about whether formative assessments facilitate the teacher's work or the
students' needs more will, at best, continue in circles. However, it clearly helps both parties learn
a lot more. Teachers will learn from assessments that set the agenda for instructional planning,
and when treated intentionally, offer opportunities for professional growth. For students, they
help develop self-cognizance and a sense of constant improvement. By integrating formative
assessments thoughtfully into classrooms, educators can ensure that these tools serve as a bridge
between teaching and learning, benefiting all stakeholders.
References:
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education:
Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74.
Brookhart, S. M. (2011). Formative assessment strategies for every classroom: An ASCD action
tool. ASCD.
Heritage, M. (2010). Formative assessment: Making it happen in the classroom. Corwin Press.
Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional
Science, 18(2), 119–144.
