Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of Formative Assessment in IB Private Schools in Azerbaijan

Abstract

This qualitative study explores IB Middle Year Programme (MYP) and IB Diploma Programme (DP) teachers’ perceptions and practices of formative assessment in two distinct IB private schools in Baku, Azerbaijan. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers, revealing that formative assessment is highly valued to track the students’ progress, promote student engagement, provide constructive feedback, and support differentiation. However, the challenges, such as time constraints, lack of necessary resources, inconsistent student engagement, and insufficient professional development opportunities for teachers, were pinpointed. The findings highlight the requirement for more support in terms of teaching and structured training sessions to maximize the effectiveness of formative assessment practices. This study contributes valuable insights into the vital role of formative assessment within IB educational settings in Azerbaijan and offers recommendations for further research to enhance teaching and learning by means of strengthened assessment techniques.