Teacher assessment literacy, formative assessment practices, and their perceived efficacy in Tanzania: A scoping review

This scoping review explored the formative assessment (FA) practices, assessment literacy, and perceived efficacy in assessment practices of teachers in Tanzania and synthesised the evidence from 41 studies published between 2005 and 2024. The results highlight key FA strategies, such as feedback practice, questioning, peer and self-assessments, and clarifying learning intentions and success criteria. The results indicate that teachers’ FA practices are constrained by inadequate assessment literacy, large class sizes, resource shortage, and the dominance of traditional assessment approaches geared towards national examinations. Despite curriculum reforms emphasising FA, traditional teacher-centred methods remain prevalent. This review underscores the need for professional development and policy initiatives that strengthen knowledge of assessment and the confidence of teachers in adopting assessment practices. The dynamic approach to teacher professional development is recommended to meet specific teacher’s needs and embedded in daily teaching practices to support effective implementation of FA and to improve student learning outcomes.