The Application of Portfolio-Based Formative Assessment in Senior High School English Writing Teaching: An Empirical Study

This study investigates the effectiveness of formative assessment in senior high school English writing teaching, with a focus on its impact on students’ writing competence and their attitudinal acceptance. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, the research selected two second-year classes from a provincial high school in Z Province in China as participants. The experimental group underwent a one-month formative assessment intervention in writing instruction, while the control group maintained conventional teaching approaches. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test continuation writing tasks and questionnaires, with subsequent statistical analysis conducted using SPSS software. Results revealed statistically significant improvements in the experimental group’s writing performance compared to the control group in post-test assessments. Moreover, students demonstrated positive perceptions towards formative assessment activities, acknowledging their efficacy in enhancing writing proficiency. These findings suggest that formative assessment serves as an effective pedagogical approach for developing English writing competence among senior high school students, offering both theoretical implications and practical value for the innovation of writing instruction methodologies in EFL contexts.