Vol.

VII (LXIX)
20 - 25
No. 1/2017

Case study on the importance of formative assessment in

stimulating student motivation for learning and increasing
the efficiency of the educational process
Alina Narcisa Crişan*a
a
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

This paper is part of a broader research carried out at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca,
respectively at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, aimed at improving
the quality of the academic training of students, respectively the efficiency of the educational process,
by reconsidering the formative assessment.
This study aims to identify the opinion of the teaching staff regarding formative assessment and
formative feedback, the importance given to them, the amount these are applied in the classroom or the
impact that they have in stimulating the learning motivation of students, reflected in the quality of the
learning outcomes.

Keywords: formative assessment; formative feedback; higher education

1. Preliminaries
In higher education the focus is primarily on summative / final assessment, carried
out at the end of the semester, in rare cases, applying intermediate tests (one,
maximum two) during the semester, at the end of meaningful content units.
The vast majority of students, particularly in the first year of studies, freshly arrived
from the pre-university education system, where the constraints resulting from
continuous assessment, stimulated, at least extrinsically, a relatively constant
involvement in the learning activity, live with the illusion of freedom which is offered
by the academia.
The absence of coercion throughout the school year determines a decrease in
motivation and, consequently, in the effort to acquire knowledge during the academic
year. Thus, the session of exams becomes, for most students, the dominant period (if
not only) for learning. It is obvious that the learning outcomes, materialized or not in
the value of their grades (some of which may be good, by the way), but rather in the
stability and depth of the acquisitions gained, raise some serious questions.
The problem of conscious and constant involvement of students in learning has a an
equally simple and efficient solution. It is not a so-called magic formula, it is what the
literature calls as formative assessment.
Formative assessment implies availability and involvement, primarily from
teachers who must constantly investescă time and effort in developing and applying
evaluation tests, but also in the verification and assessment of student activity. Apart
from these drawbacks, EF is a powerful tool for stimulating student motivation and
ensuring the effectiveness of teaching and learning process.

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +40-745-772210 ;

E-mail address: Alina.Crisan@dppd.utcluj.ro
 Alina Narcisa Crișan /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology 21

2. Summative assessment, formative assessment and formative feedback –

conceptual clarifications

The summative or cumulative assessment is performed at the end of a set of

learning activities (a theme, a chapter, a unit of learning). It is associated to the
traditional way of checking students' training, it highlights the acquisitions and
sanctions their absence or the errors found. It aims the periodic balance of learning
activities and highlights the results expressed in grades through which selections or
classifications are made. Summative assessment certifies to what extent the students
at the end of a period of learning, have acquired the expected learning outcomes.
In brief, summative assessment can be seen as ”any assessment activity which
results in a mark or grade which is subsequently used as a judgement on student
performance. Ultimately judgements using summative assessment marks will be used
to determine the classification of award at the end of a course or programme” (Irons
2008, p.7)
Although in higher education the focus is mainly on summative assessment,
Falchikov (2005) draws attention to some less desirable aspects that it brings, such as:
- focusing mainly on examination;
- reliability of evaluation tests and teacher subjectivity;
- does not stimulate student interest and motivation for learning;
- students speculate how the assessment is carried out, they “join in the game”;
- supports surface learning, at the expense of in-depth learning;
- it is a source of stress.
Formative assessment comes to counterbalance these issues and contributes in a
positive manner to the increase in the quality of student learning; its role is to make
them aware of their own level in knowledge by relating, both to the previewed
objectives, but also to the individual expectations.
Formative assessment is carried out during educational activities, involving checks
on small sequences, with reference to different objectives and can be seen as a
diagnostic assessment, but also a progress one, by the effects it has on the student. It
can be achieved both by measuring learning outcomes but also without it, by issuing
value judgments on them.
Frequency with which formative assessment is performed is variable, being closely
related to the type of the teaching activity, the content, the difficulty of the objectives
to be achieved, the resources allocated, the time (Joiţa, 2001).
EF aims to improve learning performance, even during the process, by giving
students the ability to regulate constantly their effort, through systematic checking and
providing constructive feedback.
Formative feedback can be seen as ”any information, process or activity which
affords or accelerates student learning based on comments relating to either formative
assessment or summative assessment activities” (Irons, 2008, p.7).
”Formative assessment and formative feedback are very powerful and potentially
constructive learning tools. Very simply, any task that creates feedback (information
which helps a student learn from formative activities) or feedforward (information
which will help a student amend or enhance activities in the future) to students about
their learning achievements can be called formative assessment. All learning and
teaching interactions between teacher and student in higher education (and between
students and other students) are to some extent formative in nature” (idem, p.7).
3. The importance of formative assessment in stimulating motivation for learning
and increasing the efficiency of the educational process
This quantitative and qualitative research aimed to identify the degree / extent
which formative assessment has in the increased motivation and improved learning
performance of students at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, respectively the
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.
 Alina Narcisa Crișan /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology 22

3.1. Impact of research:

- for the student: to raise awareness of the need and importance of conscious,
active, constant and sustained involvement in the learning activity, throughout the
entire semester / academic year;
- for the teachers: awareness of the importance which formative assessment has
in the increased efficiency of the educational process, visible at the level of learning
outcomes, respectively the need to rethink long-term strategy in the light of this;
- fot the institutions: increasing the quality of the academic preparation of
students by increasing the quality of education.

3.2. Research description:

In order to identify the degree / extent which formative assessment has in
increasing motivation and improving learning performance of students, we propose:
• Conducting a survey among the teaching staff from the Technical University of
Cluj-Napoca, respectively the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary
Medicine regarding the formative assessment and formative feedback, their
importance and the extent to which they are applied in the classroom;
• Pre-testing of students, performed at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
(Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Machine Building, Faculty of Automation and
Computer Science) and the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary
Medicine of Cluj-Napoca through interview-based survey;
• Analysis of responses and determining, based on the availability manifested by
those interviewed, of the control group and of the experimental one;
• Implementation of customized formative assessment strategy at the level of the
experimental group;
• Post-testing, carried out based on questionnaires, respectively the analysis of the
school situation of students in disciplines where formative assessment strategies
were applied assessment strategies.
This paper, for space reasons, will be limited to the presentation and analysis of
results of the survey conducted among teachers. The joint questionnaire was applied
based on the following aspects:
• Knowledge of the concepts of EF or FF;
• The importance given by teachers to formative assessment, respectively the
formative feedback in education;
• The role of EF or FF in student motivation, namely to increase learning
efficiency, visible in the academic results;
• Measure / frequency according to which formative assessment is carried out;
• Specifying the type of teaching activity where formative assessment is mainly
used (seminar, laboratory);
• The extent to which EF contributes to the reduction in the share of summative
assessments;
• The extent to which EF was taken into account in the design of teaching
activities;
• Perception of the degree of effort spent on formative assessment;
• Specifying the methods and procedures used in formative assessment;
• Methods of providing formative feedback;
• Suggestions / proposals for improving their educational activities.
The questionnaire was applied to a batch of 58 teachers from the two universities
mentioned above (34 from UTCN and 24 from USAMV); 96.55% (56) of
questionnaires were returned, filled in completely. To the closed answer items from
the questionnaire were assigned values from 1 to 5 (Lickert scale), where the
minimum value perceived is 1 and the maximum 5 (e.g. 5 = A very large extent; 4 =
Large extent ; 3 = Small extent; 2 = A very small extent; 1 = Not at all).
 Alina Narcisa Crișan /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology 23

3.3. Results
Next, we will present the results obtained as a result of the survey in the two
universities, both for the items with closed answer, and for those with an open answer.

Table 1. Centralization of the scores given by teachers to each item

Itemi 1 2 3 4 5

1. Knowledge of the concept of EF; 3 26 16 8 3

2. Knowledge of the concept of FF; 3 24 18 9 2
3. The importance given by teachers to formative assessment, respectively 5 32 6 9 4
the formative feedback in education;
4. The role of EF or FF in student motivation, namely to increase learning 1 2 8 22 23
efficiency, visible in the academic results;
5. The frequency according to which formative assessment is carried out; 24 10 17 4 1

6. The extent to which EF contributes to the reduction in the share of 10 15 16 9 6

summative assessments;
7. The extent to which EF was taken into account in the design of teaching 38 15 0 2 1
activities;
8. Perception on the degree of effort spent on formative assessment; 0 1 10 21 25

Regarding the closed answer items, to the survey results revealed the following:
Teachers’ knowledge of the EF concept:
■ Not al all: 5.35%; ■ A very small extent: 46.42%; ■ Small extent: 28.57%; ■
Large extent: 14.28%; ■ A very large extent: 5.35%.
Teachers’ knowledge of the formative feedback:
■ Not al all: 5.35%; ■ A very small extent: 42.85%; ■ Small extent: 32.14 %; ■
Large extent: 16.07%; ■ A very large extent: 3.57.
The importance given by teachers to formative assessment, respectively the
formative feedback in education:
■ Not al all: 8.92%; ■ A very small extent: 57.14%; ■ Small extent: 10.71 %; ■
Large extent: 16.07%; ■ A very large extent: 7.14%.
The role of EF or FF in student motivation, namely to increase learning efficiency,
visible in the academic results:
■ Not al all: 1.78%; ■ A very small extent: 3.57%; ■ Small extent: 14.28 %; ■
Large extent: 39.28%; ■ A very large extent: 41.07%.
The frequency according to which formative assessment is carried out:
■ Not al all: 42.85%; ■ A very small extent: 1.78%; ■ Small extent: 30.35%; ■
Large extent: 7.14%; ■ A very large extent: 1.78%.
The extent to which EF contributes to the reduction in the share of summative
assessments:
■ Not al all: 17.85%; ■ A very small extent: 26.78%; ■ Small extent: 28.57%; ■
Large extent: 16.07%; ■ A very large extent: 10.71%.
The extent to which EF was taken into account in the design of teaching activities:
■ Not al all: 67.85%; ■ A very small extent: 26.78 %; ■ Small extent: 0%; ■ Large
extent: 3.57%; ■ A very large extent: 1.78%
Perception on the degree of effort spent on formative assessment:
■ Not al all: 0%; ■ A very small extent: 1.78%; ■ Small extent: 17.85%; ■ Large
extent: 37.5%; ■ A very large extent: 44.64%.
 Alina Narcisa Crișan /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology 24

Regarding open answer items, the recorded responses have certified, in most cases,
the reduced, sometimes non-existent attention given by academics to the formative
assessment and formative feedback.
Regarding the definition of formative assessment, we will submit several meanings,
considered as representative, provided by teachers:
- ”formative assessment is that evaluation form which helps support student
learning performance”;
- ”formative assessment is carried out during current teaching activities without
grading”;
- “formative assessment aims to regulate the students’ learning activities, but also
the teaching activity”;
- ”formative assessment should be conducted constantly by providing feedback to
the students”.
- With reference to the definition of formative feedback, few satisfactory answers
were recorded, from which we select the following:
- “formative feedback is what the teacher communicates to the student, after the
completion of formative assessment, in order to guide him in learning”;
- ”formative feedback is constructive feedback”;
- ”formative feedback is meant to tell students which is the level of the knowledge
they gained and what they have to do to meet the requirements”;
- “formative feedback is an exercise to guide students in learning”.
Regarding item Specifying the type of teaching activity where formative assessment
is mainly used (seminar, laboratory), only 3% of respondents chose the course, the
remaining 97% credited equally the seminar and laboratory.
Regarding Naming the methods and procedures used in formative assessment, we
noticed the following:
- 16.07% of those interviewed declared that they cannot correctly name a
specific formative assessment method;
- A percentage of 30.35% said that they mostly use evaluative conversation;
- 14.28 % use the short test;
- 5.35% said they use the portfolio;
- And 3.57 % - case study.
Regarding Methods of providing formative feedback, we recorded the following:
- 30.35% declared they use conversation;
- 5.35% - feedback sheets using criteria;
- 46.42% - notes on the portfolio / papers;
- 7.14% self- and peer-assessment;
The rest said they have never paid attention to this issue or do not give formative
feedback.
For the last item, Suggestions / proposals for improving your own educational
activities, we consider the following selections of answers to be most relevant:
- ”Rethinking teaching long-term teaching strategy”;
- ”Increasing the frequency of using formative assessment at the seminar and
laboratory”;
- ”Including formative assessment in the design of teaching activities”
- ”Identification and implementation of new methods of assessment, including
formative ones”
- ”Allocating 10 minutes during every laboratory for providing formative feedback
to the students” etc.
4. Concluding remarks
Formative assessment is neither a heal-all remedy, nor is it the key to resolving all
issues related to the efficiency of the educational process, respectively increasing
students’ motivation for learning. But it surely is a powerful and reliable instrument,
which is available to every teacher interested in quality of their teaching performance
and in their students’ learning outcomes.
 Alina Narcisa Crișan /Journal of Educational Sciences and Psychology 25

The research conducted in this article revealed that at the university level,
formative assessment is underestimated. Considered as being time and effort-
consuming, little known in theory by some teachers, generally applied only a little
during teaching activities... but still an interesting topic... Formative assessment raises
some questions on how to actually integrate it into all disciplines, regardless of the
academic year, by redesigning the educational activities and by identifying the most
appropriate instruments in order to achieve it.

References

1. Crişan, A. (2015). Calitate şi inovaţie curriculară în universitate, Ed. Risoprint, Cluj-Napoca.

2. Irons, A. (2008). Enhancing learning through formative assessment and feedback, London and
New York, Routledge.
3. Falchikov, N. (2005) Improving Assessment through Student Involvement: practical solutions
for aiding learning in higher and further education, London, Routledge Farmer.
4. Greenstein, L. (2010) What Teachers Really Need to Know About Formative Assessment.
ASCD Publication, Alexandria, USA.
5. Joița, E., Ilie, V., Vlad, M. (2008). Pedagogie și elemente de psihologie școlară, Ed. Arves,
Craiova.