The impact of formative assessment on student motivation – A systematic literature review

Abstract

This thesis explores the potential impact of formative assessment on student motivation within the Norwegian educational context. With an increasing demand for formal qualifications in obtaining employment in the Norwegian labor market, completion of secondary education plays a crucial role for students’ future prospect of job employment. With the knowledge that one of the main predictors for not completing secondary education is grades in lower secondary school, understanding the factors influencing student motivation becomes critical in the effort of increasing the completion rate. Drawing from a systematic literature review focusing on the relationship between formative assessment and motivation among EFL students in middle and lower secondary school, this study synthesizes findings from 21 studies. The results indicate a positive relation between formative assessment practices and student motivation. Methods such as process writing, portfolio assessment, peer-assessment, and self-assessment were found to positively impact student motivation, with feedback being a central component in all these methods. Effective feedback is characterized by focused error correction and is restricted to specific types of errors. Professional teacher training was found to be important for facilitating effective formative assessment practices, enhancing their assessment literacy, and their ability to implement effective formative assessment practices. Additionally, developing teacher professionalism has the potential of contributing strong assessment for learning communities in schools. Strong assessment for learning communities can foster learning-oriented environment that caters to the implementation formative assessment practices. However, the study’s short duration and lack of research conducted in Norway may limit the applicability of the findings to the Norwegian educational context.