IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i17p7826-d1473803.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses on the Impact of Formative Assessment on K-12 Students’ Learning: Toward Sustainable Quality Education

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew Sortwell

    (School of Education, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney 2007, Australia
    School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle 6160, Australia
    Research Center in Sports Sciences Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Kevin Trimble

    (Department of Research and Evaluation, National Catholic Education Commission, Sydney 2000, Australia)

  • Ricardo Ferraz

    (Research Center in Sports Sciences Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
    Department of Sports Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • David R. Geelan

    (School of Education, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney 2007, Australia)

  • Gregory Hine

    (School of Education, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle 6160, Australia)

  • Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo

    (Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 7991538, Chile)

  • Bastian Carter-Thuiller

    (Department of Education, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno 5290000, Chile
    Departamento de Didáctica y Práctica, Facultad de Educación, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco 4780000, Chile)

  • Evgenia Gkintoni

    (Department of Educational Sciences & Social Work, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
    University General Hospital of Patras, 26504 Rio, Greece)

  • Qianying Xuan

    (School of English Education & Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China)

Abstract

Formative assessment in K-12 education has been a notable teaching and learning focus area in schools over the last 20 years, as evidenced by numerous recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses investigating and summarizing the evidence for formative assessments’ effectiveness and sustainability. This umbrella review systematically reviews meta-analyses investigating the effects of formative assessment on learning, summarizes the current findings, and assesses the quality and risk of bias in the published meta-analyses. Meta-analyses were identified using systematic literature searches in the following databases: Scopus, ERIC, Academic Research Complete, ProQuest, APA PsycArticles, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Humanities International Complete. Thirteen meta-analyses, each of which examined the effects of formative assessment on learning in K-12 students, were included in this umbrella review. The review considered evidence for the potential effectiveness of using formative assessment in class with primary and secondary school students. Formative assessment was found to produce trivial to large positive effects on student learning, with no negative effects identified. The magnitude of effects varied according to the type of formative assessment. The 13 included meta-analysis studies showed moderate ( n = 10), high ( n = 1), and low ( n = 2) methodological quality (AMSTAR-2), although the robustness of the evidence (i.e., GRADE analysis) was very low ( n = 9), low ( n = 3), and moderate ( n = 1). These findings offer valuable insights for designing and implementing different types of formative assessment aimed at optimizing student learning and ensuring the sustainability of assessment practices. However, the low-to-very-low certainty of the available evidence precludes robust recommendations regarding optimal formative assessment strategies for learning in K-12 students.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Sortwell & Kevin Trimble & Ricardo Ferraz & David R. Geelan & Gregory Hine & Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo & Bastian Carter-Thuiller & Evgenia Gkintoni & Qianying Xuan, 2024. "A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses on the Impact of Formative Assessment on K-12 Students’ Learning: Toward Sustainable Quality Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:17:p:7826-:d:1473803
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7826/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/17/7826/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ana Barbosa & Stephen Whiting & Philippa Simmonds & Rodrigo Scotini Moreno & Romeu Mendes & João Breda, 2020. "Physical Activity and Academic Achievement: An Umbrella Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-29, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tianjiao Wang & Congbin Guo, 2022. "Inverted U-Shaped Relationship between Physical Activity and Academic Achievement among Chinese Adolescents: On the Mediating Role of Physical and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Ying Yang & Jinruo Qin & Jing Lei & Yanping Liu, 2023. "Research Status and Challenges on the Sustainable Development of Artificial Intelligence Courses from a Global Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Elena Escolano-Pérez & Marta Bestué, 2021. "Academic Achievement in Spanish Secondary School Students: The Inter-Related Role of Executive Functions, Physical Activity and Gender," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Jong-Sik Ryu & Hae Ryong Chung & Benjamin M. Meador & Yongsuk Seo & Kyung-O Kim, 2021. "The Associations between Physical Fitness, Complex vs Simple Movement, and Academic Achievement in a Cohort of Fourth Graders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Bartseva, Ksenia & Likhanov, Maxim & Tsigeman, Elina & Alenina, Evgenia & Reznichenko, Ivan & Soldatova, Elena & Kovas, Yulia, 2024. "No spatial advantage in adolescent hockey players? Exploring measure specificity and masked effects," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Oliver W. A. Wilson & Chris Whatman & Simon Walters & Sierra Keung & Dion Enari & Andy Rogers & Sarah-Kate Millar & Lesley Ferkins & Erica Hinckson & Jeremy Hapeta & Michael Sam & Justin Richards, 2022. "The Value of Sport: Wellbeing Benefits of Sport Participation during Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-9, July.
    7. Mohamed A. Zayed & Mohamed A. Moustafa & Musaddag Elrayah & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2024. "Optimizing Quality of Life of Vulnerable Students: The Impact of Physical Fitness, Self-Esteem, and Academic Performance: A Case Study of Saudi Arabia Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Yingchen Bi & Minkwon Moon & Myoungjin Shin, 2022. "The Longitudinal Effects of Depression on Academic Performance in Chinese Adolescents via Peer Relationships: The Moderating Effect of Gender and Physical Activity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Gracia, Pablo, 2023. "Child and Adolescent Time Use and Well-Being: A Study of Current Debates and Empirical Evidence," OSF Preprints 9qmrk, Center for Open Science.
    10. Denver M. Y. Brown & Carah Porter & Faith Hamilton & Fernanda Almanza & Christina Narvid & Megan Pish & Diego Arizabalo, 2022. "Interactive Associations between Physical Activity and Sleep Duration in Relation to Adolescent Academic Achievement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-11, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:17:p:7826-:d:1473803. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.