Investigating the effects of formative assessment on EFL students’ achievement and motivation: a Self-Determination Theory perspective

The study highlights the differential effects of formative assessment on students' psychological needs and underscores the importance of autonomy in academic achievement. Several limitations are acknowledged, including the small sample size, single-school setting, brief intervention period, and possible cultural or teacher-related influences, all of which may constrain generalisability. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs, recruit more diverse samples, and investigate how specific formative assessment strategies uniquely support autonomy, competence and relatedness.