Formative Assessment in China and Its Effects on EFL Learners’ Learning Achievement: A Meta-Analysis from Policy Transfer Perspective

Black and Wiliam's seminal review elicited an impressive effect size (d= 0.4-0.7)for the efficacy of formative assessment, which in turn became the very foundation for the prevalence of formative assessment in theory, policy and practice around the globe.This effect size, however, has been questioned by meta-analyses from America, French and Spanish sources.With an eye on the policy transfer across borders and cultures, this paper explored, via a meta-analysis, how, if yes, the efficacy of formative assessment has been transferred in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education area in the Chinese context.Analysis of 33 effect sizes from eligible 27 studies revealed a medium-sized positive effect of formative assessment on Chinese students' EFL learning (0.46).Subsequent moderator analysis showed that formative assessment seemed to work better on students' vocabulary learning (0.84) and spoken language achievement (0.65) than reading, writing and listening, and on small-sized groups (0.69) than larger ones (-0.12).Implications for pedagogy and future policy-making were derived therefrom.