What is the main role of formative assessment in education?

The main role of formative assessment in education is to guide instructional adjustments and improvement. Formative assessments are tools that educators use to monitor student learning and understanding during the instructional process rather than at the end. This ongoing assessment helps teachers identify areas where students may need additional support or clarification. By utilizing the feedback from these assessments, educators can adapt their teaching methods, materials, and pacing to better meet the needs of their learners. The goal is to enhance learning through a continuous feedback loop, thereby improving overall student performance and engagement.

This approach contrasts with other options such as assigning grades, which is typically associated with summative assessments, and comparing students against each other, which does not promote individual growth and mastery. Evaluating teachers' effectiveness may involve various metrics, but formative assessments primarily focus on student progress and instructional improvement rather than teacher evaluation directly.