Formative Assessment for Teaching and Learning

′A unique blend of scholarly research-based principles of effective formative assessment with practical suggestions for use in the classroom. The authors show how the essence of formative assessment is in teachers′ responses to the substance students′ understandings, with a focus on how teachers can use pedagogical strategies to move students forward toward important learning outcomes. I highly recommend the book for both researchers and practitioners. It is an engaging, in-depth, sophisticated treatment of formative assessment.′
- James H. McMillan, Virginia Commonwealth University

Formative Assessment (AFL) supplies the strategy to support effective teaching, and to make learning deep and sustained. This book shows how to develop your planning for learner-centred day-to-day teaching and learning situations through an understanding of formative teaching, learning and assessment.

Within each chapter, based on real teaching situations, the strategies of the ′formative assessment toolkit′ are identified and analysed:

• guided group teaching
• differentiation
• observation & evidence elicitation
• analysis & feedback
• co-construction
• reflective planning
• self-regulation
• dialogue & dialogic strategies.

The principles set out in this book can be applied to any age or stage in education, but will be particularly useful to current practising teachers, students following international and national teacher training courses; CPD or in-service work; and MEd and MA post-graduate assessment/teaching and learning modules. 

Professor Bill Boyle was Professor of Education, held the chair of Educational Assessment and Director of the Research Centre for Formative Assessment studies (CFAS) in the School of Education at the University of Manchester, UK from 1989-2014. During that period he conducted research for and advised the UK government′s Department for Education and Department for International Development. The CFAS is the oldest research centre(founded 1988) in the UK for supporting teachers, teacher trainers, schools and policy makers in using formative teaching, learning and assessment and is involved in supporting the development of formative assessment in UK and in many countries around the globe. Professor Boyle and his co-author, Marie Charles, publish their research work in academic and practitioner journals, present at international conferences and workshops, and design and support international developments in the pedagogy of formative teaching and in using learning assessments. Currently, they are working with colleagues in Russia, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Saudi Arabia and the USA on understanding, training and using formative strategies for more effective teaching and learning.

Dr Marie Charles has experience as a teacher, researcher in formative pedagogy and race and inclusion and holds a PhD in Cultural Studies & Humanities. She is currently publishing on decolonisation and reframing the curriculum. Dr Charles is an author/researcher whose work demonstrates that she believes passionately in the development and empowerment of the learner (rather than measurement or grading) being at the centre of the education process – a belief that she carries into her teaching and consultancy practice.