The word “formative” comes from the Latin “formare” meaning “to form” and within education formative assessment should help teachers to form a better understanding of their students’ learning and progress.
Simply put, assessment should be used for learning – learning for the teachers and learning for the students.
Professor John Hattie’s ground-breaking Visible Learning research (2008) emphasised the importance of assessment for learning as a key strategy for improving educational outcomes.
He defines it as a pedagogical approach that seeks to not only gauge students' understanding but also to provide actionable feedback to enhance your teaching and students’ subsequent learning.
Most teachers agree that assessment for learning should happen in every lesson, but often this is planned as a summative task, often in the form of a plenary saved for the last activity before the students depart.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here