Understanding Formative Assessment Practice in the EFL Exam-Oriented Context: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Formative assessment (FA) has been used to facilitate EFL learning and teaching. However, due to factors such as task complexity and time constraints, FA implementation faces a variety of challenges, especially in countries with an exam-oriented education system. Drawing on the case of EFL teachers from Chinese public secondary schools, this study examines the features of FA practice and explains their underlying aspects in an EFL exam-oriented context from a social psychology perspective. It adopts a mixed-methods research approach. Guided by the theory of planned behavior, 10 English teachers from Guangdong province in China were interviewed to establish an item pool for a structured questionnaire. A total of 161 English teachers from four cities in Guangdong province took part in the subsequent survey. The results revealed that the participating teachers have an implicit understanding of FA, based primarily on its literal meaning and their own teaching experience. They know and follow FA methods but lack confidence about their own practice. Regional differences were significant. Possible reasons for the perceptions and practices of Chinese EFL teachers from public secondary schools are the teachers’ own attitudes, the influence of other stakeholders, and the limitations of the FA methods. The study elucidates the features of FA practice and its mechanism in an EFL exam-oriented context.