How Secondary English Teachers Employ Formative Assessment and Feedback to Scaffold Students’ Odyssey in English Learning

Abstract

Introduction: The practice of formative assessment and feedback to scaffold student learning in secondary school English classrooms is either neglected or underestimated in the literature. Purpose: This study reports how secondary English teachers reflect on their practice of formative assessment and feedback in English language teaching. It examines the nexus that teachers make between formative assessments and continuous feedback to promote students’ learning. Method: A semi-structured interview was employed to investigate the teachers’ implementation of formative assessment and strategies for giving feedback to students’ English learning activities. Classroom observation explored how teachers provided immediate feedback to students’ classroom activities. This article examines the data through Lajoie’s scaffolding framework. Results: Findings indicate that teachers’ continuous feedback to students’ English learning activities and frequent language assessments have become effective in promoting students’ English language learning. Despite the limited training they receive, teachers’ motivation to learn innovative teaching techniques is crucial for connecting formative assessments with students’ English language learning. Conclusion: The article aims to contribute to the practical understanding of the potentially significant roles of continuous feedback and formative assessment in foreign or second language teaching and learning. It further contributes to the ways the English language is taught in similar contexts.