Formative Assessment as an Instructional Approach in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics: A Case of Secondary School Teachers and Students in Kenya

The main focus of this research was on formative assessment conceptualized as an instructional approach in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The participants involved in the study were the Kenyan secondary school teachers of mathematics and their students. Five studies were conducted under the theoretical framework of formative assessment as suggested by Black and Wiliam (2009). In the first study, the adapted instrument was assessed for its suitability in measuring Kenyan mathematics teachers’ perceptions of formative assessment. Teachers’ perceptions were rated as low to moderate on a five-point Likert scale. The second study assessed the relationship between teachers’ perceived use of formative assessment strategies and their levels of metacognitive awareness. The study revealed a positive relationship between formative assessment and metacognition. The study showed that formative assessment strategies influence teachers’ metacognitive regulation. Study three was an extension of study two and it examined teachers’ conception and perceptions of metacognition use in mathematics classrooms. The findings revealed that teachers regarded themselves as highly metacognitive although they hardly translated the same to their teaching. The fourth study involved the development and validation of a test to measure students’ proportional reasoning skills in mathematics. This test was later used as a tool to measure the impact of formative assessment on students’ achievement which was conducted in study five. Analysis of items in the test showed that the test was suitable to be used for formative assessment intervention. Study five was thus experimental and aimed to find out the impact of formative assessment on students’ achievement in mathematics and their levels of metacognitive awareness. The results showed that formative assessment can be used as an intervention to improve students' performance in mathematics and also improve their levels of metacognition. Theoretical and practical implications for each of the five studies are given. Suggestions for further research and recommendations are also given since formative assessment as an instructional approach is yet to be extensively studied in Kenya