Volume : 12, Issue : 7, JUL 2026

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

BINAY KUJUR, DR. BISWESWARISAHU

Abstract

The present study explored formative assessment (FA) practices in government secondary schools under the Rourkela Municipal Corporation, Odisha, India, from the perspectives of both teachers and students. Guided by an interpretivist paradigm and employing an exploratory qualitative design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with ten secondary school teachers and ten students selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis of interview data yielded ten themes from teachers (A1–A10) and five from students (B1–B5), addressing four objectives: FA practices as viewed by teachers; FA practices as viewed by students; benefits of FA; and challenges in implementation. Findings reveal that FA is actively and diversely practised through questioning, assignments, quizzes, projects, group discussions, peer assessment, and portfolios. Feedback emerged as the most universally valued component across all participants. Benefits include improved academic achievement, enhanced understanding, increased motivation, better teaching practices, and improved examination performance. Key challenges are time constraints, large class sizes, workload, and limited technology access. The study concludes that FA is a valued and effective educational practice in this context, and recommends professional development, technology integration, and policy reforms to strengthen its implementation.

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IESRJ

International Educational Scientific Research Journal

E-ISSN: 2455-295X

International Indexed Journal | Multi-Disciplinary Refereed Research Journal

ISSN: 2455-295X

Peer-Reviewed Journal - Equivalent to UGC Approved Journal

Peer-Reviewed Journal

Article No : 5

Number of Downloads : 7

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