Formative Assessment in Moroccan EFL Classrooms: Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices

Abstract

Formative assessment plays a significant role in teaching as it provides feedback that supports learning. For students, it helps them know where they are in the learning process. For teachers, it gauges understanding and informs subsequent instruction. To this end, this study aims to gain deeper insights into Moroccan high school EFL teachers’ perceptions of formative assessment, their classroom practices and whether there is an association between the two. In order to meet the study objectives, the researcher opted for a quantitative research approach using a questionnaire as the main instrument for data collection. Results indicate that EFL teachers perceive formative assessment positively and report using it (to varying degrees) in their classrooms. Findings also report a modest positive correlation (p=.000, rho=.40) between FA practices and perceptions; the more positively teachers view formative assessment, the more likely they are to use it. Teachers also report time constraints, large class sizes and a summative-assessment focus, among other factors, as barriers that render using formative assessment challenging.