Building teachers’ capacity in formative assessment: The Singapore example

Abstract

The objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge base of teacher professional development and formative assessment using Singapore as an example. The study was carried out through an exploratory case study in a Singapore school. Our study shows that while the teachers find formative assessment beneficial, they do not have sufficient knowledge of it and face the challenges of heavy workload, time pressure and lack of confidence. The results serve to inform policymakers and educators of the need to provide effective and sustained teacher professional development in formative assessment as well as continual teacher support and collaboration.