Effects on EFL Students’ Motivation and Development using Formative Assessment

Sammanfattning: In recent years, research has been done on formative assessment and its connection to student motivation and development, showing both benefits and disadvantages of using the practice. This study investigates further how formative assessment affects students’ motivation and language development in an EFL (English as a foreign language) context, and the possibilities of implementing formative assessment in Swedish upper secondary classrooms. The study was conducted using thematic analysis with nine empirical studies as the basis. The studies contain different forms of formative assessments conducted on upper secondary- and university students, aiming to examine their effects on motivation and development. The results showed that formative assessment is beneficial in motivating students in their language learning as well as aiding students in their language learning development. Teacher feedback, peer review, multiple drafting, and portfolios all positively impact students. Based on the studies’ findings and previous research, it is evident that formative assessment can be used in EFL classrooms with benefits. However, teachers need to be mindful of the way in which they deliver feedback since it can affect students’ motivation. The findings also correlate with the Swedish curriculum for upper secondary school and could therefore be implemented in Swedish schools. Lastly, this study showed that there is a need for further research on the effects of formative assessment conducted on upper secondary school students.