Do we really understand what formative assessment is? Examining the formative assessment definitions within the measurement and evaluation textbooks

Abstract

It was aimed to examine definitions made for the formative assessment within textbooks used for the measurement and evaluation courses of the teacher training programs. It was identified that there are 32 books which are currently accessible and have suitable content for teacher training programs. Based on the measurement and evaluations experts’ suggestions and publication dates of the books, the 17 out of 32 textbooks were selected for the study group. It was found out that the 17 textbooks focus on the two themes regarding the formative assessment: how to apply the formative assessment and utilize the results provided by it. The results brought out that the textbooks provide information about various aspects of the formative assessment such as aim, planning, content, application, and feedback process. In addition, the results of the current study revealed that in the textbooks used for measurement and evaluation courses of teacher training programs, there are some definitions including misconceptions and conflicting information with the related body of knowledge. This finding indicates that it is required to have textbooks including information on the formative assessment, which is consistent with the recent related literature and cognitive approach. Teachers also need textbooks guiding them towards appropriately applying the formative assessment in the classroom. In addition, instructors are recommended to be aware of that most of the textbooks currently utilized for the measurement and evaluation courses of the teacher training programs include important misconceptions about the formative assessment.