Formative assessment in education: a systematic review

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.731

Keywords:

Formative Assessment; Feedback; Self-Regulated Learning; Teaching Practice; Systematic Review; Educational Quality

Abstract

Formative assessment has established itself as a pedagogical approach to improve learning and develop competencies, but its implementation and empirical evidence vary depending on the context. The objective of this study was to conduct a formative assessment in education through a systematic review of the theoretical, methodological, empirical, and geographical dimensions of formative assessment in teaching practice, considering both international and Latin American perspectives. A systematic literature review was carried out using the PRISMA guidelines, searching indexed databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, Dialnet, and Latindex for articles published between 2018 and 2025. The results show that scientific production on formative assessment is increasing, but descriptive studies and systematic reviews abound, while experimental designs are scarce. The literature generally relies on traditional theoretical models of descriptive feedback, cognitive gap closure, and self-regulated learning, recently enriched with models supported by digital technologies and artificial intelligence. The results reveal favorable impacts of formative assessment on student performance, motivation, and engagement, but challenges remain related to teacher training, workload, and coexistence with summative assessment cultures. It is concluded that formative assessment is well-founded conceptually and empirically, but needs to be strengthened with methodologically rigorous studies and educational policies consistent with UNESCO and OECD frameworks to become a driver of change in the quality of education.

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References

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Published

2026-03-19

How to Cite

Rodriguez Mendoza, E. (2026). Formative assessment in education: a systematic review. ANNALS SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION, 5(1), 2877–2905. https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.731

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