Educative features of formative assessment curriculum materials: the cases of MAP and MesiMatica

Abstract

Formative assessment (FA) is recognized as a core instructional practice in mathematics education, yet it is not widely embedded in mathematics instruction. Little is known about how curriculum materials support teachers’ learning to enact FA. Drawing on the framework of educative curriculum materials, this study offers a comparative analysis of a purposively selected sample of units from two well-established FA-oriented initiatives in secondary mathematics: the Mathematics Assessment Project and MesiMatica. The analysis examines how each set of materials embeds educative support through three dimensions: the rationale articulated to teachers, the knowledge made available, and the guidance provided for implementation. Attention is given to how guidance is configured in terms of specificity and flexibility across the phases of eliciting, interpreting, and responding to evidence of student learning. Findings show that while both initiatives combine high specificity with flexibility, they distribute these features differently across the FA process, illustrating alternative design logics for supporting teachers’ learning to enact FA.