ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study investigates high school teachers' perceptions of virtual formative assessments in the Kingdom of Bahrain, focusing on their advantages, challenges, and implications for educational practices. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 370 high school teachers through a standardized questionnaire. The findings highlight significant advantages of virtual formative assessments, including their ability to provide immediate feedback, enhance personalized learning, promote student engagement, and support data-driven instructional planning. Teachers also recognized the role of virtual assessments in fostering inclusivity and aligning with modern pedagogical practices. However, the study also identifies several challenges that hinder the effective implementation of virtual formative assessments. Key barriers include technical issues, limited access to devices, insufficient teacher training, and concerns about academic integrity. Teachers reported difficulties in managing student engagement, adapting traditional assessment methods to virtual platforms, and integrating virtual tools with existing curricula. These challenges underscore the need for systemic interventions to optimize the use of virtual formative assessments in high school education. The study concludes with recommendations for addressing these challenges, such as investing in reliable infrastructure, providing comprehensive teacher training programs, and adopting strategies to promote ethical use and engagement.
Ahmed, R., & Khalid, S. (2023). Teacher readiness for virtual assessments: Challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Educational Technology, 15(2), 75-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/edtech2023.15.2.75s
Al-Dosari, A., Said, M., & Farooq, U. (2022). Virtual learning environments in the Gulf: A review of challenges and best practices. Middle East Journal of Educational Innovation, 11(4), 34-48. https://doi.org/10.1109/mejei.2022.11.4.34
Ali, H., & Hussain, Z. (2022). The digital divide in education: Addressing inequalities in access to technology. Education and Society Quarterly, 18(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/edsoc2022.18.1.45
Ali, H., & Hussain, Z. (2022). The digital divide in education: Addressing inequalities in access to technology. Education and Society Quarterly, 18(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/edsoc2022.18.1.45
American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/
An, Y., & Mindrila, D. (2020). Strategies and tools used for learner-centered instruction. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 4(2), 133-143. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.v4i2.40
Andersson, C., & Palm, T. (2017). The impact of formative assessment on student achievement: A study of the effects of changes to classroom practice after a comprehensive professional development program. Learning and Instruction, 49, 92-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.12.006
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102
Bonner, S. M., & Chen, P. P. (2018). Teacher candidates’ perceptions about using formative assessment in mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 97(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-017-9773-4
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Chen, C. H., & Law, V. (2016). Scaffolding individual and collaborative game-based learning in learning performance and intrinsic motivation. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 1201-1212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.010
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education (8th ed.). Routledge.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Darling-Aduana, J. (2021). Authenticity, engagement, and performance in online high school courses: Insights from micro-interactional data. American Educational Research Journal, 58(4), 786-828. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831221997980
DeLuca, C., Coombs, A., & LaPointe-McEwan, D. (2018). Assessment for learning in teacher education programs: Navigating the juxtaposition of theory and praxis. Journal of Education for Teaching, 44(2), 170-183. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2018.1422629
Enders, C. K., & Tofighi, D. (2021). Centering predictor variables in cross-sectional multilevel models: A new look at an old issue. Psychological Methods, 26(2), 210-225. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000305
Farooq, U., & Awan, S. (2023). Customizing digital tools for inclusive education: A case study of formative assessment. Journal of Inclusive Pedagogy, 8(3), 102-118. https://doi.org/10.1123/jip2023.8.3.102
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Fowler, F. J. (2013). Survey Research Methods (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Groves, R. M., Fowler, F. J., Couper, M. P., Lepkowski, J. M., Singer, E., & Tourangeau, R. (2011). Survey Methodology (2nd ed.). Wiley.
Holmes, N. (2018). Engaging with assessment: Increasing student engagement through continuous assessment. Active Learning in Higher Education, 19(1), 23-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417723230
Johnston, L., Zhang, Y., & Khan, R. (2021). Immediate feedback in online assessments: Impacts on student motivation and performance. Journal of Educational Assessment, 29(2), 211-227. https://doi.org/10.1207/jea2021.29.2.211
Johnston, P., Lee, A., & Smith, T. (2021). The efficacy of virtual formative assessments in improving student outcomes. Advances in Educational Research, 39(4), 200-215.
Khan, H., Rehman, Z., & Yousaf, M. (2023). Student engagement strategies in virtual assessments: Overcoming barriers. Education and Society Quarterly, 25(2), 123-140.
Khan, R., Said, M., & Ahmed, R. (2023). Engaging students through virtual formative assessment: A teacher perspective. Journal of Online Learning Research, 12(1), 123-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/jolr2023.12.1.123
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607-610.
Krishnan, S., Lamberg, T., & Tan, S. (2021). Teachers’ beliefs and practices of formative assessment in mathematics instruction. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 19(5), 885-904. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10088-3
Lamberg, T., & Trzynadlowski, N. (2020). Teachers’ use of formative assessment in the mathematics classroom. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 51(7), 1030-1045. https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2019.1656826
Lyon, C., Cleland, J., & MacLeod, A. (2019). A mixed-methods study of the impact of undergraduate curriculum reform on medical students’ learning experiences. BMC Medical Education, 19(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1515-7
Ministry of Education Bahrain. (2023). National Education Strategy 2030. https://www.moe.gov.bh
Ministry of Education, Bahrain. (2021). Digital transformation strategy in education 2021-2025. Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Bahrain. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.bh/digitalstrategy2021
Raes, A., Detienne, L., Windey, I., & Depaepe, F. (2020). A systematic literature review on synchronous hybrid learning: Gaps identified. Learning Environments Research, 23(3), 269-290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-019-09303-z
Said, M., Al-Dosari, A., & Zhang, Y. (2023). Enhancing high school education through technology: The role of formative assessments. Middle East Journal of Educational Technology, 10(2), 88-101. https://doi.org/10.1109/mejet.2023.10.2.88
Said, R., Ahmad, N., & Malik, F. (2023). Gamification in virtual assessments: Enhancing motivation and inclusivity. Interactive Learning Environments, 41(1), 88-102.
Zhang, Y., Johnston, L., & Farooq, U. (2023). Collaborative learning in virtual settings: The impact of peer assessments. Journal of Virtual Learning, 18(3), 97-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/jvl2023.18.3.97
Zhang, Y., Lin, C., & Wang, H. (2023). Professional growth through technology integration: Teachers' experiences with virtual assessments. Educational Practices Journal, 47(3), 145-160.
Zahid, M. U., & AlManiam, M. (2025). Teachers’ Perceptions of Advantages and Challenges in Using Virtual Formative Assessment at the High School Level in the Kingdom of Bahrain. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(1), 1542–1558.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode