Use of formative assessment techniques by teacher s of higher education

Chapter1

Introduction
Formative assessment is the practice of tracking student progress and making
continual corrections and adjustments while a course is being taught. Observations,
reflection journals, and question sessions are examples of easy, non-graded (low stakes),
in-class activities that make up formative assessments. Classroom assessment procedures
are another name for formative assessment methods (CATs.)
The purpose of formative assessment is to reveal pupils' thinking. By watching
and listening to students explain their thinking teachers can learn information that will
help them make educated educational decisions that go beyond the students' first replies
to investigate their underlying reasoning. For instance, even if students provide a proper
response to a question, a teacher may still believe they comprehend the topic at hand
without the use of formative evaluation. When we ask students to describe their reasoning
when addressing a problem, one could find that they possessed the necessary procedural
knowledge but lacked conceptual understanding and were unable to articulate the
mathematical concepts that explain why or how the technique or algorithm worked.
do.
Higher education is described as "any sort of education delivered in post-
secondary institutions of learning, generally culminating in a degree, diploma, or
certificate of higher education." Teacher training schools, junior colleges, and institutes
of technology are all part of higher education. Higher education institutions include not
just universities and colleges, but also vocational schools that prepare students for careers
in subjects such as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. Teacher training
schools, junior colleges, and the Institute of Technology are also part of higher education.
It is the "education in a college or university, especially to a degree level." With
significant population expansion, higher education is critical for Pakistani young. The
younger generation is keen to obtain high-quality education from prestigious universities
in order to be endorsed by different companies. At the university level in Pakistan, both
the annual and semester examination systems are used concurrently.
 The annual system of education is one in which there is just one final test at the
conclusion of two years. Because the academic year is 9 months long, a final test in the
annual system is given after 9 months of active instruction and 3 months of summer
holidays. No additional metrics, such as classroom performance, communication skills,
analytical thinking, and so on, may be examined in the yearly system. . Furthermore, an
annual system generally permits students to participate in co-curricular and
extracurricular activities and allows professors to transmit more knowledge to the pupils.
In the semester system, student performance is evaluated at the conclusion of each
semester; two semesters combine to constitute one academic year. Exams are taken in
each semester under the semester system, and the results are presented at the conclusion
of each semester. However, results are generated and given at the conclusion of each
academic year. Students' learning capacity is enhanced under the semester system, and
they have more potential for academic achievement, as seen by their high grades,
positions, and G.P.A. Each student's accomplishment propels the entire university toward
success and the achievement of their objectives ( Daka, 2008).
Since there is a sense of cooperation between students and professors in the
semester system, there needs to be a climate of trust between them. Additionally, it is
explained that the semester system is very dynamic because it fosters strong relationships
between faculty and students, faculty and staff, and students and staff. This interaction
makes the learning environment at schools and universities more adaptable and lowers
the rigidity factor. The environment under the semester system is rather adaptable, which
is quite beneficial for students who are interested in learning. In other words, the semester
system is learner-centered, with a primary focus on students' academic development.
When the setting is adaptable, students may more readily ask their teacher questions and
resolve their uncertainties (Jadoon et al., 2008).
Due to a lack of norms at Baluchistan University, the administration and its
powerful references and sources pressure instructors to raise students' grades, and
occasionally some teachers are also prejudiced and award their preferred students a
higher grade, which reduces the efficacy of the system. To strengthen Pakistan's
education sector, teachers should be able to use their full ability in a free environment.
(Sarwar, 2008).
 Regarding the teachers view of the examination semester, the instructors said
that the semester system had increased their burden since they were required to produce
the results on their own and that the lack of professional training also had an impact on
their performance. Additionally, they discovered that the kids are not taking this
assessment method seriously. Additionally, they must deal with local pressure to raise the
grades.(Pathak & Rahman, 2013).
The teacher's instructions and behavior serve as a motivating force for students. It
is the main factor that affects whether pupils are more or less motivated to learn. Students
get more motivated by themselves as a result of teacher behavior elements like
enthusiastic instruction and student facilitation of an effective class. It may be claimed
that the instructor serves as a facilitator and controller of the factors that affect students'
motivation, including competitiveness, students' self-efficacy, the flow of collaborative
learning, the classroom atmosphere, and feedback (Lens & Ulrich, 2003).In the semester
system, collaborative learning occurs via instructor and student engagement. Students
who feel comfortable in the setting of the institute develop more skills and become more
involved by giving their efforts and participating in class with confidence ( Demaris &
Kritsonis, 2008).
The universities all over the globe are battling to draw, keep, and inspire students
in order to improve their reputation on a national and worldwide level. This fight not only
entails creating a better learning environment, but also includes the professionalism of the
instructor in every lecture, fair assessments, and valuing the students through developing
their abilities. These elements work together to raise student happiness and adherence
(Douglas & Barnes, 2006).
Having clear indicators of mastery learning to describe a proficient performance
would be an ideal situation for teachers to communicate to their students prior to learning
event. However, doubts exist about teachers' assessment skills. (Stiggins, 2002) claimed
that U.S. teachers are "a national faculty unschooled in the principles of sound
assessment". This calls into question the ability of classroom teachers to create valid
evaluations to ascertain whether pupils have learned the information intended for and
provided during a particular lesson. With formative assessment, the teacher would have
benchmarks to show how well a student was progressing and would provide feedback to
the student on the abilities and knowledge that had been demonstrated as well as what
tasks remained to be completed in order to successfully attain suggested benchmarks.
The use of formative evaluations has a favorable effect on student progress. Few
studies have looked at the direct relationship between the use of formative assessment
attributes and the resulting impact on student affect, even though these research studies
included the student as the most important user of information and found that the
student's emotional response to assessments was important to that increase in academic
achievement. The majority of formative assessment research has shown how it affects
student accomplishment, but little of it has looked at why formative assessment affects
student achievement in the first place.
Assessment, which can be done in a variety of methods, enables both the teacher
and the student to keep track of how well learning objectives are being met. Formative
assessment refers to methods for seeing problems, obstacles, and learning gaps along the
route and evaluating how to bridge them. When students realize that the objective is to
increase learning rather than apply final marks, it can even help them become more adept
at taking responsibility for their education. (Trumbull & Lash, 2013)
Through writing, tests, conversations, and other methods, students may evaluate t
heir performance, that of their classmates, or even that of the teacher. Formative assessme
nt, which is conducted continuously throughout a class or course, aims to increase student
attainment of learning objectives by using strategies that can accommodate unique studen
t requirements (Theal & Franklin, 2010).
Formative assessment frameworks should strike the ideal mix between rigidity
and adaptability. To find out whether students are grasping concepts and making progress
toward their goals, instructors employ formative assessment tools and procedures. After
there, they modify their instruction to address those demands by using a variety of
learners can fill gaps by completing learning challenges and projects. The instructor's
pedagogical and topic knowledge is required for this interactive method to assessment
and adaption of the teaching and learning process, but it also requires a lot of imagination
and flexibility.
2008)
 The sole objective of formative assessment is to give feedback to students about
their performance for the contribution in their learning; help teachers in continually
monitoring their own understanding of students' needs; and adopt relevant instructional
techniques (Greenstein, 2010). This type of assessment may be formal or informal. In
case of formal formative assessment the specific curriculum is assessed (Can Daşkın &
Hatipoğlu, 2019).
Formative assessment is a type of learning assessment (Leah et al., 2005). The
goal of formative assessment is to provide teachers with a clear picture of where their
pupils are in their learning (Black & Wiliam, 2004). Formative assessment is distinct
from summative or diagnostic evaluation. Formative assessment provides the teacher
with a clear picture of each student's knowledge.
It has been found that formative evaluations are remarkably successful .In fact;
formative evaluations have been dubbed "probably one of the most important strategies
for fostering high performance ever investigated" by academics from a variety of nations.
The formative assessment process does not have a single method (Keeley, 2007).
After a teaching period, summative evaluation is used to evaluate student learning
and teachers' instruction (Anthony & Susan , 2005). It has a clear assessment.
Summative assessment is an examination of the course, the validity of the education
program, and education research in order to classify, identify, and evaluate progress
following a teaching program or at the conclusion of the term. Summative evaluation
means that the teacher wants to know what the students remember about the course
material so that a grade may be assigned. It allows the instructor to "sum up" or "judge"
what the pupils have taught (Luo Shaoqian, 2003).
A collaborative action research incorporating top-down and bottom-up activities
to investigate teachers perceptions on formative and summative assessment. Their study
reveals that instructors perceptions and behaviors regarding formative and summative
assessment differ. Teachers perceptions of assessment techniques varies, which affects
their ability to assess. Teachers abilities to undertake assessment need to be
contextualized and suited to the group of participating teachers, and there has to be a
common knowledge of AfL practice, who is working on assessment as part of teachers'
professional development , instructors lack the necessary AfL ability to properly
implement it in their classrooms(Gulikers et al.,2013).
Teachers are likely at a loss as to when to employ summative assessments versus
formative assessments and are hence perplexed. There is demand to assess student
understanding to satisfy curriculum standards while also preparing children for high
stakes accountability examinations. Standardized testing and formative assessment
cannot coexist since the former is an instructional approach used while learning is taking
place and the latter is a measurement of student acquisition of performance criteria,
particularly in comparison to peers (Bell & Cowie, 2001).
The education policy examined the operation of existing evaluation systems and
raised severe problems about their efficacy and applicability to real-world requirements.
They advocated for major changes to these evaluation systems in order to better align
them with national and international norms (Kiani, 2011). The National Educational
Policy 2017 underlined the multiple aspects and elements that impact the quality of
higher education, one of which is the method for educational assessment.
Despite the fact that many public sector colleges have larger and better physical
facilities, the academic brilliance of their teaching personnel and the level of their
evaluation procedures are dubious. There are several gaps and differences in regard to
prevailing scenarios of evaluation processes in different colleges. The national education
policy also stated that various universities have varied study plans and assessment
procedures. For its regular students, universities have outlined extensive criteria and
assessment principles. Unfortunately, university lecturers from many disciplines
erroneously apply these criteria for continual assessment of student achievement. This
circumstance needs a thorough investigation of the current formative evaluation
techniques in Pakistan's public sector institutions using the semester system. (GOP, 2009)
Statement of the problem
This study aims to explore the effects of giving formative feedback to missionary
and their teachers about each missionary's development and accomplishments. The use of
formative assessments and regular feedback is thought to enhance attained desired
learning outcomes. This study looked into how formative assessment procedures are used
in the classroom and how instructors' professed values are put into practice. This study
looked at how teachers' views and behavior relate to these particular formative
assessment criteria in order to measure their knowledge about formative assessment.
Teachers' beliefs and attitudes regarding formative assessment techniques as well as their
responses to the learning requirements of students were crucial indicators of what
teachers knew about formative assessment.
Objectives of the study
Objectives of the study were:
1. To analyze teachers familiarization or perception with different techniques of
formative assessment.To analyze the perceptions of Students about Different
Techniques of formative assessments used by teachers
2. To analyze the use of formative assessment techniques by teachers in
classroom
Students point of view & Teachers point of view
.3. 4. To explore the benefitsusefulness of Formative Assessment in
Undergraduate Classes.
Students point of view & Teachers point of view

43. To analyze the effect of formative assessment on Academic Achievement

of students.
4. To explore the benefits of Formative Assessment in Undergraduate Classes.
5. To compare the use of Formative Assessment Techniques in different
departments of LCWU.
Research Questions
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that systematic use of formative
assessment attributes in classroom instructions had on student affect and to examine the
association of formative assessment attributes with student affect. The study sought to
answer the following research questions:
1. To analyze teachers familiarization or perception with different techniques of
formative assessment.
2. To analyze the use of formative assessment techniques by teachers in
classroom.
 3. To analyze the effect of formative assessment on Academic Achievement of
students.
4. To explore the benefits of Formative Assessment in Undergraduate Classes.
5. To compare the use of Formative Assessment Techniques in different
departments of LCWU

Interview Questions
[1.] Are you familiar with the concept of formative Classroom assessment? Please
give a few examples of formative assessment? To what extent are educatorsthe
teachers utilize classroom ing formative assessments? Do you think that
classroom assessments really effect the learning of students? process to improve
student learning?
Familiarity, use, Effect
[2.] What types of classroom assessments aredo you used and ? How often or hhow
frequently do you assess your students in class? Do you think classroom
assessments are useful for students?In which subjects do you use formative
assessment most frequently? What types of assessments are used? Give examples.
Are they useful? How? Explain with examples. How can it be further improved?
Use, frequency of use, usefulness
[3.] Do you give your feedback to the students during class? What type of feedback?
Is it useful? How can it be further improved?
Do you give your feedback to the students on their tests and assignments? What
type of feedback? Is it useful? How can it be further improved?
[4.] How do you plan for formative assessment in your lessons?
Formative assessments in Lesson planning
Do you ever grade students on the basis of formative assessment? Explain how?
[5.] When doing an assignment, or test, quiz or presentation, do you think the se
techniques are useful for enhancing learning of sstudents?
find useful? What type of assignments do you think are useful? Why? In which
subjects? What type of assignments do you think are not useful? Why? Usefulness
of different FAT
 1. Do you give your feedback to the students during class? What are benefits of
feedback and how your feedback effects the students?
Feedback, effect of feedback, usefulnessWhat type of feedback? Is it useful? How
can it be further improved? Do you give your feedback to the students on their
tests and assignments? What type of feedback? Is it useful? How can it be further
improved?
2. How do you grade your students on the basis of classroom assessments? What
type of grading you use?
Grading of students

[6.] In your opinion, how much professional development programs are necessary for
teachers to understand the importance and use of assessment techniques in
classroom? What effect doesHow professional development of teachers add value
to have on value and their use of formative assessment techniques in classrooms?
How PD of teachers regarding classroom assessment techniques effect the
learning of students in classrooms?
Importance of PD, Effect of PD on learning

THEMES
3. Is there a relationship between the type and amount of professional development
on formative assessment received and teacher’s levels of implementation of
formative assessment strategies?
[7.] What types of assessment practices are most often used by teachers?

Familiarity Q1
Effect Q1,
Types of Formative Assessments Q2, Q4, Q5
Use Q1, Q2
Frequency of use Q2
Usefulness Q2, Q4, Q5
Lesson Planning Q3
Grading Q6
Professional Development Importance & Q7
Effect