Investigating Effective Formative Assessment Applications to Enhance Students' Performance and Interest in Learning Mathematics

Abstract

This study investigates upper secondary teachers' application of formative assessment towards its effectiveness in enhancing students’ performance and interest in learning Mathematics. This study was carried out within Nyamasheke District, Western Province, Rwanda. The sample of the study was composed of 78 respondents, including 72 senior five students and six mathematics teachers, randomly and purposively, respectively, selected from six upper secondary schools. An in-depth interview and document reviews were used to collect data. The collected data from interviews was analyzed thematically, and the document review was analyzed descriptively. It was found that formative assessment is important for students since it enhances their active learning and collaboration. However, the results from the study showed that teachers do not provide the feedback that can make students improve their learning. This study recommends that teachers provide effective assistance to the students and provide feedback that makes students improve their mathematics learning. Keywords: Formative assessment, in-depth interview, document review, secondary school teacher, Rwandan students, mathematics