Investigating preservice mathematics teachers’ formative assessment strategies across mathematical competency demands

This study investigates how preservice mathematics teachers conceptualise and apply formative assessment strategies across mathematical competencies. Forty-eight participants developed lesson plans integrating planning and assessment components for a mathematical task, specifying how they would assess students’ learning. Qualitative analysis produced a coding scheme, followed by quantitative analysis to examine variations in the use of formative assessment strategies across competencies. Acting on the Information Collected was the most frequently applied strategy, particularly within Communication, Mathematising, and Using Symbols, Operations, and Formal Language, whereas Collecting/ Eliciting Information through Questioning appeared least used. Analysis of the sub-strategies revealed that preservice mathematics teachers adapted their questioning and interpretive practices to align with the demands of specific mathematical competencies. Although they demonstrated awareness of these differing demands, their formative assessment practices remained only partially aligned. This study underscores the need to strengthen preservice mathematics teachers’ capacity to integrate formative assessment practices with specific mathematical competencies.