Formative assessment in primary education: a documentary review of contemporary practices, approaches and challenges
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Abstract
The study aimed to synthesize how formative assessment in primary education contributes to learning, considering its approaches, applications, practices, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. A qualitative documentary review with a descriptive-analytical design was conducted, based on 32 academic publications published between 2020 and 2024. Information was obtained through systematic searches in Scopus, Semantic Scholar, Redalyc, SciELO, and Web of Science, using keyword combinations related to formative assessment, feedback, self-assessment, and active methodologies; the analysis was supported by reference managers such as EndNote and Atlas.ti and thematic coding techniques. The findings show that formative assessment is grounded in constructivist and sociocultural approaches, fostering continuous feedback, self-regulation, and teacher guidance, with key strategies including the use of rubrics, peer assessment, self-assessment, and digital tools for immediate feedback. Likewise, positive impacts were identified on student motivation, academic performance, and metacognitive skills, with higher effectiveness in mathematics and science, although limitations remain related to lack of teacher training, administrative overload, digital divide, and limited curricular integration. In conclusion, formative assessment is an essential pedagogical strategy to improve educational quality and promote autonomous learning, provided it is accompanied by teacher training, curricular integration, and institutional support.
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