Formative assessment and students’ voices – exploring links to enhance partnership in assessment practice

From many educationalists, students’ voices and students’ involvement in their learning and school experiences are an equity issue in education and a children’s rights concern. 

We know that assessment systems and practice can change radically if, as teachers and policy makers, we not only listen to young people but treat them as equal stakeholders (rights holders) in reform agendas around educational assessment.

From summative assessment to ‘student voice’

In response to perceived negative impacts of summative assessment, recent global educational trends have moved away from relying on tests and examinations to assess children’s learning through more formative assessment practices. Many governments have reviewed national assessment systems in light of developments in formative assessment and implemented large-scale ‘Assessment for Learning’ programmes to improve learning, teaching and educational standards.

At the same time, there has been a movement within educational sectors to include students’ voices in activities to improve education at all levels. We are now so used to asking students what they think about their educational experiences that ‘student voice’ has become widely recognised as a productive way of examining the relationship between teaching and learning, and a constructive way of including students in educational decision-making.

The importance of students’ voices in assessment continues to be overlooked, yet research has shown us that student voice and assessment are intrinsically linked. If we take this link seriously, we create the possibility of developing socially just and fair assessment for all students. It provides clear insights into the power of assessment to drive educational change from the student perspective, resulting in positive impacts on them as learners.

What do students think about formative assessment

From a range of research studies we have learnt about what students think about formative (and summative) assessment, the growing use of digital tools in formative assessment, and how students should have more input into decisions that affect them.

Students realise that they are the ones most affected by change and that assessment policies are enacted differently within and between local contexts, creating an unequal landscape of assessment experience and opportunity. Students believe that school leaders and teachers should be more interested in their views about assessment, as it has significant consequences for them.

More recent research about the increasing use of digital tools in formative assessment showed that:

• Students are aware of poverty and resources issues - not all students have equal access to resources,
• Not all teachers are as comfortable or knowledgeable about software and hardware as some students are,
• Online assessment systems are vulnerable to cheating and bad practice; the best scenarios would be a mixture of online and traditional assessments,
• The use of young people’s assessment data by schools is a rising concern for students (especially if schools can bypass students and go straight to parents with results and feedback).

Where do we go from here?

Students are keen to put forward ideas to improve formative assessment, to express their opinions about things that are important to them, and to listen to the opinions of other students to find common solutions. One solution offered is whole-school assessment policies, co-created between students, teachers, and senior leaders, but which students have ownership of. Clear understanding of what assessment is, why it is being done, and the sharing of assessment literacy between teachers and students would be clearly valued and supported.

So, the idea of including students’ voices in assessment decision-making is a very simple one, yet it seems difficult to convince educators that it is an imperative. I believe there is an opportune moment for us to do this – we should begin the journey to create fair assessments in partnership with our students, and not look back!

References

• Elwood J. & Livingston, K. (2023) Social Impact of Digital Formative Assessment on Students: Final Report 3 for the Assess@Learning Project. Available at: https://www.assessforlearning.eu/project-outcomes
• Elwood, J., Hopfenback, T. & Baird, J-A. (2017). Predictability in high-stakes examinations: students' perspectives on a perennial assessment dilemma. In: Research Papers in Education. 32 (1), pp.1-17.
• Elwood, J. (2013) The place(s) of student voice in 14-19 education policy reform: reflections on consultation and participation. In: London Review of Education. 11 (2) pp. 97-111. 
• Elwood, J. (2012) Qualifications, examinations and assessment: views and perspectives of students in the 14–19 phase on policy and practice. In: Cambridge Journal of Education. 42 (4) pp. 497-512.