Formative Assessment: Master Trainers’ Attitude and Practice

Abstract

Formative Assessment (FA) as discussed by Black and Wiliam (1998) was introduced to English teachers in 2018 through English Language Education Reform which aligns the curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A group of teachers were handpicked by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to undergo a centralized training regarding FA with Cambridge Assessment in English Language Training Centre (ELTC). These teachers were then appointed as Master Trainers (MT) and were tasked to train teachers all over the country. However, two years after the introduction, little application of the assessment can be seen in schools. Hence, the research focusses on the MTs to see whether they themselves possess good attitude towards the assessment and practise the principles of assessment. Data was collected from 40 MTs all over Malaysia through a questionnaire which was distributed online. Overall, data from the questionnaire have revealed that the participants have positive attitudes towards FA and the assessment is an establishing practice in their classroom. Even though there is a positive correlation between attitude and practice, attitude is found to play a small role. Therefore, more support should be provided by MOE to teachers as to ensure assessment for learning is practised widely by English teachers in the nation.