The Effect of formative assessment practices on 6th grade students' mathematics achievement, motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety

This study aims to investigate the effects of formative assessment on 6th-grade students' mathematics achievement, motivation, self-efficacy perceptions, and anxiety levels. The study was conducted with a total of 60 sixth-grade students attending a public school. An explanatory sequential mixed design was adopted in the research; quantitative data were collected in the first phase and then supported with qualitative methods to provide a deeper understanding. Quantitative data were obtained using a mathematics achievement test, a motivation scale, a self-efficacy scale, and an anxiety scale, and analyzed using factorial ANOVA. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and evaluated using descriptive analysis. In the study, an experimental group of 30 students and a control group of 30 students were formed; formative assessment methods were applied in the experimental group, while traditional teaching methods were used in the control group. The intervention was carried out over 12 weeks, covering the 4th and 5th units of the mathematics curriculum. The quantitative findings indicated that formative assessment enhanced mathematics achievement, strengthened students' perceptions of motivation and self-efficacy, and reduced mathematics anxiety. The factorial ANOVA results revealed significant differences in favor of the experimental group across all variables. The qualitative data showed that students positively evaluated the formative assessment process and found it to make their learning experiences more effective and meaningful. Students stated that formative assessment helped them focus more on their learning processes and contributed to their development. In conclusion, it was found that formative assessment not only increased academic achievement in 6th-grade mathematics but also positively affected affective characteristics such as motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety. These findings suggest that formative assessment can be an effective method in student-centered teaching approaches. The results of the study provide significant recommendations for educators and education policymakers while also offering insights for future research.