Abdykalykova Sh.M.
THE WAY TO USE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS *
Аннотация:
this study explores the role of formative assessment in enhancing speaking skills among EFL learners in rural secondary schools. It examines teachers’ perceptions, implementation strategies, and the challenges they face. The research highlights how formative assessment provides timely feedback, fosters motivation, and facilitates the improvement of students oral communication abilities. By analyzing qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with teachers, the study identifies key themes related to assessment effectiveness, challenges, and pedagogical implications.
Ключевые слова:
formative assessment, speaking skills, language learning, EFL teaching, feedback, rural education, qualitative research
Introduction.Relevance of the study. In modern conditions of globalization and technological progress, foreign language proficiency is becoming an integral part of a successful professional and social life. Among all aspects of language learning, the development of oral skills is of particular importance, as it allows effective interaction in intercultural communication. One of the methods contributing to the improvement of speaking is formative assessment, aimed at providing students with prompt feedback and creating conditions for their self-reflection. Despite the widespread use of this technique in Western educational systems, its introduction into English teaching in Kazakhstan is relatively recent and requires further study.The problem of research. Despite the recognition of the effectiveness of formative assessment in educational practice, its application in the development of speaking skills remains insufficiently studied, especially in the context of rural schools. Teachers face a number of challenges, including a lack of methodological resources, lack of experience in implementing this approach, and the difficulty of objectively evaluating students oral speech. In this regard, there is a need to analyze teachers perception of formative assessment, determine its impact on students motivation and academic performance, as well as identify difficulties that hinder its effective use.The object of the study is the process of teaching English in rural secondary schools.The subject of the research is the use of formative assessment for the development of students oral speech skills.The purpose of this study is to study the role of formative assessment in the development of oral language skills in rural school students and identify the main factors influencing its effectiveness.To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:- To analyze the scientific literature on the topic of formative assessment and its impact on the development of speaking,- To investigate the perception of formative assessment by English language teachers,- Identify the most effective strategies for its application,- To identify the main difficulties faced by teachers in the implementation of this methodology,- Develop recommendations for optimizing the formative assessment process to improve students oral skills.Among the modern works devoted to the application of formative assessment in language learning, one can single out the research of Hattie and Timperley (2007), which proved that effective feedback can significantly improve language skills. Chapelle & Douglas (2006) and Heift & Rimrott (2008) also focused on the use of digital technologies for automated analysis of oral speech. At the same time, some scientists (Shavelson, 2008, Akhmedina, 2017) point out the difficulties of implementing this methodology due to the need for highly qualified teachers and the adaptation of assessment criteria.Thus, formative assessment is a promising, but still insufficiently studied tool for developing oral speech skills among English language learners. Further study of this approach, especially in the context of rural schools, will allow us to develop more effective strategies for its implementation and adaptation to the educational system of Kazakhstan.Methods and Materials.This research study used a qualitative approach to gather and analyze data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to gather data. The interview data collection consists of asking participants open-ended questions, followed by additional questions to clarify and elicit more precise responses. The purpose of the interviews was to understand how rural teachers perceive formative assessment to improve speaking skills and how formative assessment can motivate students.As participants for current study were invited 10 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers who works Zhambyl secondary school located in Almaty oblast, Karasai district, Zhambyl village. Participants received an email to invite them to participate in a semi-structured interview. Not to forget, participants were also invited verbally individually when the interview time approached. All of them were informed that the learning process would consist of two stages, such as observation of EFL teachers lessons and a semi-structured interview. They were also informed in advance what issues would be discussed. The interview was conducted individually in class after observing the lessons. Why after observation, because subsequent questions were mainly related to lessons where teachers introduced formative assessment and observed how motivation helped students improve their speaking skills.The interview contained ten main questions, each of which was designed to understand and obtain information about rural teachers perceptions of formative assessment, how they implement it and what problems they face in the teaching process. The information was presented in clear and understandable language. The form of presented questions was short and direct, also only necessary details were provided.Interviews took place at times and locations chosen by the participants. Each interview lasted between 45 and 60 minutes and was recorded, with the permission of the participants, for transcription purposes only, ensuring accurate documentation of the information conveyed. Participants were clearly informed that they could refuse the audio recording and answer any questions they found uncomfortable. In total, the observation of participants lessons and the research procedure itself took two months.It is important to keep ethical standards and principles during educational research. Kitwood (1977) stated that if the interviewer establishes a good interaction with the respondent and is sincere and motivated, accurate data can be collected. Therefore, it is critical to take the necessary steps to ensure that study participants feel comfortable and trust the interviewer. This will help obtain accurate data for the study. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the school principal via email. Only after receiving approval participants were invited to participate in the study via email. Participants were also required to sign a consent form to ensure their rights were protected.Findings.As mentioned above, the data collected was analyzed through thematic analysis which identified three main themes: first, rural teachers perceptions of formative assessment, second, how rural teachers implement formative assessment to improve speaking skills, and third, problems faced by rural teachers (Gerald, 1970). What teachers face in the teaching process when using formative assessment.Each of the themes had sub-themes, for example relating to perception: forms of formative assessment, the most effective method among formative assessments and how they are effectively implemented. The second main topic included questions such as: how to improve students speaking skills, in what way formative assessment can improve speaking skills and how it can be implemented to produce successful results. The third main topic consists of sub-questions such as: the problems of formative assessment encountered in the learning process, how to solve the problems encountered, and suggestions for the effective implementation of formative assessment to improve speaking skills.Some of the participants answers were different and similar. There were participants who were against the idea that formative assessment could help improve speaking skills and they supported the five-scale assessment. There were also young teachers with little teaching experience, and they responded that implementing formative assessment was too difficult and they did not understand the meaning of formative assessment, but they used it in their lessons, which was observed before the interview. Overall, most teachers understood and knew how to effectively implement formative assessment to improve speaking skills, as determined through interviews as well as observed lessons.According to the research teachers in rural area often consider formative assessment as a useful tool for enhancing EFLstudents’ speaking skills. Based on semi structured interview data, three main themes appeared during the thematic analysis. During the interviews, participants answered the main question about rural teachers’ perceptions of formative assessment for the development of speaking skills in different ways. Some believed that it was useful for improving speaking abilities, others preferred traditional methods. This category included sub themes related to different forms of formative assessment, preferences for certain methods, and perceived success in improving speaking skills. The second main theme was that formative assessment is used to improve speaking ability.The discussion was about how to enhance students’ speaking skills in the classroom through formative assessment. The subtopics of the main themes included effective implementation methods, approaches in which formative assessment helps with skill improvement, and strategies for enhancing speaking skills. The third topic was formative assessment challenges for teachers in rural areas. The participants highlighted several kinds of challenges they faced while using formative assessment into their teaching methods. Sub-themes included difficulties with implementation, a lack of understanding or guidance, and recommendations to overcome these barriers.A limitation of the current studies may be the small sample size. Because it was found that 10 EFL teachers as participants was not enough for a meaningful study. The small sample size and localized context may limit the generalizability of the findings to broader populations of language teachers and learners. Although interviews provide rich qualitative data, they may not reflect the full range of perspectives or experiences related to formative assessment and speaking skills development. Additional methods such as student surveys may provide additional information. Future research on this topic may be more valid and reliable if these limitations are addressed by considering different approaches, increasing sample size and diversity, and conducting additional studies in different settings.Conclusion.In the course of this study, the role of formative assessment in the development of oral language skills among rural school students was examined. The analysis of scientific literature, as well as interviews with teachers, revealed the key aspects of the application of this method, its advantages and difficulties of implementation.The main conclusions of the study confirm that formative assessment is an effective tool for improving the level of oral language proficiency, as it promotes the active participation of students in the educational process, increases their motivation and makes it possible to correct mistakes in a timely manner. At the same time, problems were identified related to the lack of methodological materials, insufficient teacher training and the difficulty of objective assessment of speaking.The practical significance of the research lies in the development of recommendations for improving the process of formative assessment, which can contribute to improving the quality of English teaching in rural schools. Further research may be aimed at studying the impact of digital technologies on formative assessment, as well as at expanding the sample of participants to obtain more generalized data.Thus, the results of this study emphasize the importance of introducing formative assessment into educational practice and the need for further improvement of its application methods for developing students oral skills.
Номер журнала Вестник науки №6 (87) том 3
Ссылка для цитирования:
Abdykalykova Sh.M. THE WAY TO USE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TO ENHANCE SPEAKING SKILLS // Вестник науки №6 (87) том 3. С. 860 - 866. 2025 г. ISSN 2712-8849 // Электронный ресурс: https://www.вестник-науки.рф/article/24316 (дата обращения: 22.01.2026 г.)
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