Formative Assessment as Part of the Learning Process

Formative assessment takes place during

the learning process and is used to identify what

learners already understand, where difficulties remain,

and what should happen next. Unlike summative

assessment, whose primary purpose is usually to

record or certify achievement at the end of a period,

formative assessment provides information that can

be used to improve ongoing teaching and learning.

In the English classroom, teachers may gather

evidence of learning through observation, questioning,

short written tasks, classroom discussions, drafts,

self-assessment, and peer assessment. However, an

activity becomes formative only when the information

it produces influences subsequent decisions. A quiz

that merely generates a score does not necessarily

support learning; the teacher and the learners need to

use its results to identify strengths, revise strategies,

and plan further action.

Effective formative feedback should be connected

to clear learning intentions and understandable

criteria. Rather than simply marking an answer as

right or wrong, feedback can indicate what has been

achieved, explain what still needs improvement, and

suggest a realistic next step. If learners understand

the criteria and participate in evaluating their own

work, they may become more capable of monitoring

and regulating their learning.

Formative assessment also requires teachers to

respond flexibly to evidence collected in the classroom.

If several learners misunderstand a grammatical

structure or cannot use it effectively in communication,

the teacher may need to modify the lesson, provide

another model, or design a new task. Assessment is

therefore not an interruption of teaching but part of

a continuing cycle in which evidence, feedback, and

pedagogical decisions shape one another.

Adaptado de: BRITISH COUNCIL. Formative assessment. TeachingEnglish, [s.d.]; OECD. Using formative assessment and feedback. In: Unlocking high-quality teaching. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2025. Acesso em: 3 ago. 2026.