The effects of online formative assessment on EFL learners’ performance and their perceptions of its effectiveness

Abstract

Assessment for learning or formative assessment is considered an inseparable part of effective teaching since it is believed to enhance students’ performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of formative assessment tools on students’ performance in an online environment and analyze both the students’ and the teacher’s perceptions of its effectiveness in the Armenian EFL context. The participants were 25 high-elementary level students from the English afterschool program in Armenia and their teacher. Within the framework of action research, a quasi-experimental study was conducted with the two groups of students: treatment and comparison groups. The treatment group was exposed to various online formative assessment techniques, while the comparison was not. Both quantitative and qualitative strands were incorporated in the research. The quantitative data were obtained through pre-and post-tests, while the qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire with students and teacher interviews. The statistical analyses of quantitative data indicated a significant difference between the post-test results of treatment and comparison groups: the treatment group students revealed better results than the comparison group. The questionnaire and interview results revealed that both the students and their teacher had a solely positive attitude towards the effectiveness of various formative assessment techniques.