Formative Assessment Practices and Their Influence on Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Motivation among Upper Primary School Students in India

Abstract

Formative assessment is widely regarded as a cornerstone of effective pedagogy, yet its relationship with self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic motivation among upper primary school students in the Indian context remains insufficiently examined. This mixed-methods study employed a concurrent triangulation design to investigate how teachers' formative assessment practices influence students' SRL strategies and academic motivation in Grades 6–8 across six government schools in Kerala, India. The quantitative strand involved 280 students who completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C 28) at the beginning and end of one academic semester (16 weeks). The qualitative strand comprised semi-structured interviews with 18 students and 12 teachers, supplemented by classroom observations (n = 36 sessions). Quantitative findings revealed significant improvements in intrinsic motivation (t(279) = 9.74, p < .001, d = 0.83) and SRL strategy use (F(1, 278) = 67.42, p < .001, η²p = .20) following structured formative assessment implementation. Qualitative themes identified feedback quality, goal transparency, and peer assessment as key mechanisms linking formative assessment to SRL. Integrated findings suggest that structured formative practices, when implemented with fidelity and teacher training, create a learning climate conducive to autonomous, self-directed learning. Implications for teacher preparation programmes and curriculum reform in Indian primary education are discussed.