Informal formative assessment in singing teaching: a qualitative study in Macao

This study explored informal formative assessment in singing teaching in Macao. Singing activities in Macao are conducted in three types of music classes: general music classes, choral classes, and solfege classes. This study applied structured observation, and ten music classes from middle one to three were observed through recordings. The results showed that: a) the frequency and type of learning targets and success criteria varied significantly across different types of classes; b) questioning and informal performance assessment were both applied, with the latter used exclusively for assessing singing performance; c) teachers provided all feedback verbally rather than in written form. Immediate feedback was given much more frequently than delayed feedback, and directive feedback was given much more frequently than facilitative feedback; d) strengths of teacher practice included the specificity of feedback and mode of delivery (e.g., demonstration through verbal or non-verbal means), while weaknesses related to questioning strategies, specificity and level of feedback, and peer assessment. By using observation, this study compensated for the inherent limitations of self-reported data (e.g., questionnaires and interviews) in previous studies, more objectively and completely revealing the practice of informal formative assessment in a specific sphere of music education.