The Impact of In-Service Teacher Training Programs on EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices of Formative Assessment in K-12 Classrooms

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of an in-service formative assessment (FA) training program, organized by Can Tho University, on the beliefs and classroom practices of Vietnamese EFL teachers across primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary levels. A structured questionnaire combining closed- and open-ended items was administered to 114 K-12 English teachers who had completed the training; this paper reports both the closed-ended quantitative findings and a thematic analysis of the six open-ended items. The questionnaire measured training effectiveness, FA beliefs, technique-use frequency before and after training, perceived student impact, and contextual factors, with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = .895–.935). Paired-samples t-tests showed statistically significant increases in reported use of all eleven FA techniques after training (p < .001), with moderate-to-large effect sizes (Hedges’ g = .60–.78), with the largest raw gains for exit tickets, observation checklists, error-correction codes, and feedback techniques. Teachers rated trainers’ expertise and materials as most valuable, while lack of time and large class sizes were the leading barriers—corroborated by open-ended responses describing large classes as a key constraint. Qualitatively, teachers described the training mainly as expanding their practical technique repertoire rather than shifting underlying assessment beliefs. These findings are consistent with in-service training serving as an effective mechanism for shifting EFL teachers’ reported FA practices under Vietnam's General Education Curriculum 2018, pointing to the need for follow-up coaching and institutional support to sustain these gains.

Keywords: in-service teacher training, formative assessment, EFL teachers, teacher beliefs, K-12 education, Vietnam

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/17-9-08

Publication date: September 30th 2026