The effects of formative assessment on improving pupils’ performance and learning skills: a systematic review

Abstract

Formative assessment is regarded as a key pedagogical tool for improving student learning; however, despite the growing interest it is generating, it remains underused in classroom practice. This study focuses specifically on primary education, a stage at which the development of fundamental skills and learning plays a decisive role in pupils’ future academic success. The aim of this systematic review is to explore and analyse the effects of formative assessment on improving academic performance and the development of learning skills among primary school pupils. The study adopted the PRISMA 2020 systematic review methodology. The results confirm that formative assessment practices are strongly associated with a significant improvement in academic performance and promote the development of students’ self-regulation skills, self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation. However, the analysis reveals that effectiveness is contingent upon the fidelity of implementation. The main challenges identified relate to the lack of specific training for teachers on formative assessment, as well as time constraints and overloaded curricula. This review makes an important contribution by providing an up-to-date and focused synthesis of empirical studies on formative assessment in primary education, highlighting its effects on academic performance and pupils’ learning skills, whilst identifying the conditions for success and the obstacles to its implementation.

Keywords: Formative assessment; Student learning; Learning skills; Student performance; Primary education.

Received Date: February 22, 2026

Accepted Date: March 14, 2026

Published Date: April 02, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/694