Formative Evaluation and Formative Feedback: An Effective Practice to Promote Student Learning in Higher Education

Resumen

Formative Assessment plays a highly important practice in the teaching and learning process where English is taught as a second language (ESL) and as a foreign language   (EFL). However, Formative Assessment has not been paid major attention as Summative Assessment has in the Ecuadorian Education System. The purpose of the study is to describe the perception that English students and English teachers have about Formative Assessment and Formative Feedback in their every day practice. A total of 70 students majoring in different engineering and 10 English teachers participated in this study.   We used data collected from class observation, questionnaires, and interviews in these cases, with a qualitative ethnographic approach, the sources were english teachers and students from Pre-intermediate and Intermediate levels of Higher Education. The findings show that in both Language Centers students appreciated that their teachers use Formative Assessment and Formative Feedback in their classes. In the Language Center of the Technical University of Ambato, Interviews were used to give feedback or correct common mistakes. We did Interviews in English with the Pre-Intermediate Level of the Open modality. On the other hand, we used Interviews in Spanish with the Intermediate Level of the Army Polytechnic School, Campus Latacunga. Students found Formative Feedback fruitful to develop language and promote meaningful learning. We can also say that Spanish Interviews were more useful that English interviews. However, there was a slight difference among English teachers. Three from ten teachers who had large classes of 30 or 35 students, said that Formative Feedback was somewhat challenging   because it involved lots of class observation and provide permanent feedback to low achievers”™ performance during Instruction.   This paper concludes with the authors”™ reflection and it highlights the benefits of applying Formative Assessment and Formative Feedback in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL).