Assessing Concept Mastery in Physical Sciences: Implementing Formative Assessment Interventions for Teaching and Learning Electricity and Magnetism

This study examines the impact of formative assessment practices on concept mastery in Physical Sciences, with a particular focus on Electricity and Magnetism among Grade 10 learners. A quasi-experimental design was utilized, involving a purposive sample of 175 learners from five secondary schools in the uMkhanyakude district. Schools A–C constituted the experimental group, while schools D–E served as the control group. The intervention based on formative assessment practices was implemented in the experimental group. To assess concept mastery, a Physical Sciences test on Electricity and Magnetism was administered as both a pre-test and post-test for both groups. The findings revealed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group, highlighting the positive impact of formative assessment on learners’ concept mastery. The study concludes that formative assessment is an effective strategy for enhancing concept mastery in Physical Sciences and recommends its integration into the teaching of Electricity and Magnetism. Additionally, it suggests further research to examine the long-term effects of formative assessment on learners' overall academic performance in the sciences.