Summary of field notes from the focus group discussions

The focus group discussions with the students placed in intervention group were aimed at finding additional answers to the research question that read: “To what extent can the use of quality formative assessment involve the students to self-regulate their own learning and assessment?” This section of the qualitative data analysis presents a summary on the focus group discussion results.

With respect to the general views on formative assessment, the students perceived it as an activity that makes learning and assessment more interactive. They also expressed formative assessment as a

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positive and encouraging activity in the learning process. In the discussions, the students mentioned many advantages of formative assessment for learning. According to them formative assessment:

 Contributes to the quality of learning;

 Helps with the improvement of learning and achievement;

 Enhances student self-confidence;

 Helps to broaden the students’ knowledge;

 Promotes retention of the learned content;

 Encourages self-regulated learning;

 Helps the student to recognise the strengths and weaknesses in learning;

 Makes students play an active role in the learning process.

As noted from the results of the quantitative phase of the study, the use of quality formative assessment on the lessons of the course increased the students’ role on the self-regulation of their own learning and assessment. More specifically, as the numerical data on the students’ perceptions on the self-regulation of learning and assessment showed, there was a statistically significant variation between the intervention and the comparison group of students. Moreover the estimated effect size that showed the extent of which the two groups were different in their perceptions on self-regulating learning and assessment was considerably higher (Cohen’s d = 0.77). To supplement this by the data from the qualitative study, the researcher guided the focus group discussants to raise ideas on the uses and effects of formative assessment on their learning and also on the self-regulation of learning. The students pointed out that quality formative assessment had a favourable effect in terms of changing the students’ attitudes to be more positive towards learning and assessment as well as to self-regulate their own learning and assessment. As raised in the discussion, the use of quality formative assessment positively influenced the motivation and the active participation of the stduents in the learning process.

In terms of the usefulness of the three types of quality formative assessment, the students’ perceptions were found to be optimistic although these forms of assessment were contrary to the course content coverage because of the amount of time they consumed. For example, the use of formative feedback encouraged more learning to occur. The uses of self and peer assessment were also advantageous

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because they were motivating to promote the active attention and involvement of the students in learning and assessment. According to the opinion of the focus group discussants, self-assessment made them relatively independent on their learning. They also reported that peer assessment activities were conducive to student motivation and competition. Nonetheless, as the findings from the quantitative phase of this study showed, a considerable number of the students reported an absence on the practice of the three elements of quality formative assessment on the lessons of the course.

On the other hand, significant number of the students expressed the usefulness of formative assessment to acquire more knowledge in the field, obtain clarity concerning the learning objectives, and also self- confidence on their learning. The students also witnessed that the information given regarding the learning objectives on the lessons were stimulating to them. Moreover, they reported that the use of formative assessment contributed to feeling confident and actively participate on the learning process.

The students in the focus group discussion showed a preference to “deep learning” above the “surface learning.” They also said that the formative assessment used on the lessons of the course contributed for the actualisation of “deep learning” with examples. For instance, formative assessment helps the student to collect more information about the learned content. The alignment of formative assessment with that of “deep learning” also encouraged the students to make more of an effort to satisfy the need to know and understand. Deep learning when accompanied by the use of quality formative assessment activities encourages students to be inquisitive and to like learning more. Nevertheless, the shortage of time for course content coverage always worked against the effective use of quality formative assessment to promote deep learning.

In the focus group discussions, the students were directed to discuss whether the implemented formative assessment promoted “surface” or “deep” learning. In the discussion, the majority of the discussants confirmed that the implemented formative assessment promoted both types of learning. For instance, it promoted surface learning where the students are expected to master definitions of key terms and concepts on the course they learn. However, if used practically, in most cases, formative assessment facilitates the promotion of “deep learning.”

Finally, the students who participated in the focus group discussions were given a chance to express ways in which the quality formative assessment allowed them to demonstrate their understanding. In

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reference to this, the discussants mentioned the following points to explain how formative assessment helped them to understand their lessons:

 The introduction of the lesson objectives and the assessment criteria were helpful;

 Learning from mistakes was useful and motivating;

 The introduction of lesson objectives and the assessment criteria were helpful;

 Learning from mistakes was useful and motivating;

 It helped to reduce errors in learning;

 It promoted greater accuracy in the learning of difficult concepts;

 Ensured the credibility of learning, achievement;

 Self and peer assessment, in particular, made salient contribution to understanding.