Formative Assessment in EFL Classrooms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Analysis of Teachers’ Judgements at Oicha Senior School

Formative assessment is among the teaching strategies that can benefit both teachers and learners in the teaching and learning process. This study examines the judgment of EFL teachers at Oicha Secondary School regarding why they use assessment activities in their English classrooms. All the EFL teachers (nine in total) participated in the study and qualitative practices were used to collect data (interview, focus group and class observation). The data analysis reveals that EFL teachers of Oicha Secondary School plan assessment activities in order to have grades and know who is first or last, and the bulk of these activities are done at the end of a period or a term. Also, the assessment activities they give to students only check the first level of Bloom Taxonomy and most of the pupils are not able to listen, speak, read and write, and this weakens their ability to reason, to think, and to make sound decisions.