Formative assessment for knowledge cultivation in university EFL classrooms: a systematic review from higher education

Formative assessment has become a concern in language testing and applied linguistics, yet conceptual and empirical gaps remain regarding its enactment in EFL higher education. Hence, this review addresses these gaps by synthesizing empirical evidence on how formative assessment supports knowledge construction, diagnostic insight, and pedagogical decision-making in English language classrooms. Guided by PRISMA-ScR procedures, peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025 were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC using Boolean search strings combining terms for formative assessment, feedback, and EFL higher education. After applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 67 empirical studies were retained for thematic synthesis. Three overarching patterns emerged. First, formative assessment consistently functions as a diagnostic process through which teachers and students identify learning gaps, monitor developing competencies, and adjust instruction or strategies based on evidence. Second, feedback and feedforward mechanisms, particularly within Assessment as Learning, play a central role in developing metacognition, self-regulation, and goal orientation, although their quality and dialogic character vary considerably. Third, teacher assessment literacy strongly shapes the coherence and impact of formative assessment, with substantial variation in how assessment principles are understood, operationalised, and integrated. Despite contextual differences, most studies report positive influences on learner engagement, linguistic development, and perceived academic progress. The review concludes by arguing for closer alignment between formative assessment practices and core constructs in language assessment—especially diagnostic validity, feedback quality, and classroom-based assessment—and for targeted enhancement of teacher assessment literacy to support coherent, evidence-based implementation in EFL higher education.