Effectiveness of Formative Assessment Techniques on EnhancingCritical Thinking Skills in Asian Secondary Education
Keywords:
Formative Assessment, Critical Thinking, Secondary Education, Asia, Instructional Strategies.Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of formative assessment techniques in enhancing critical
thinking skills among secondary school students in selected Asian countries. The study was anchored
on a quantitative research design and drew upon 320 respondents selected from secondary schools
using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. A researcher-developed questionnaire titled
Formative Assessment and Critical Thinking Inventory (FACTI) was administered. Out of 320
questionnaires distributed, 302 were returned and found valid for analysis. Descriptive statistics were
used to answer the research questions, while three null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 significance
level using t-test and ANOVA. Findings revealed that formative assessment techniques such as peer
assessment, feedback cycles, and questioning strategies significantly improved learners' critical
thinking abilities as reflected in the high proportion of agreement responses across items.
Furthermore, hypotheses testing showed significant differences in students’ critical thinking outcomes
based on exposure to formative assessment practices. These results align with multiple reviewed
studies demonstrating the value of formative assessment for promoting analytical reasoning and
problem-solving in secondary learners. The study concludes that formative assessment is a powerful
instructional tool for fostering critical thinking in Asian secondary schools. Recommendations were
made to ministries of education, school administrators, and classroom teachers to adopt structured
formative assessment programs, provide professional development for teachers, and integrate
formative feedback cycles consistently across subjects to strengthen students’ thinking competencies
