FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES IN PRIMARY EDUCATION: LESSONS FROM INTERNATIONAL LARGE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS

This article investigates the role of formative assessment strategies in primary education and their relationship to the performance frameworks established by international large-scale assessment programs. Building on the theoretical literature in assessment for learning, the study analyzes how formative practices — including learning objectives transparency, peer and self-assessment, questioning strategies, and feedback — align with the cognitive demands tested in PIRLS, TIMSS, and PISA. The article further examines empirical evidence from high-performing educational systems, including Finland, Singapore, and Estonia, to derive transferable lessons for countries in the process of educational reform. It concludes that formative assessment, when systematically embedded in primary classroom practice, not only improves performance on international assessments but contributes to the development of self-regulated learners capable of sustained academic achievement.