Learning & Teaching
Strengthening Mathematics Instruction through Formative Assessment and Effective Questioning
At Holy Cross, we are continuing to refine our mathematics teaching practices to ensure every student is supported and challenged in their learning. This term, our focus across all year levels will be on the use of formative assessment, specifically effective questioning and the use of Exit Tickets—two powerful, evidence-based strategies that make a real impact in classrooms.
What is Formative Assessment?
Formative assessment is all about using regular, real-time feedback to guide teaching and improve student learning outcomes. It involves checking for understanding (CFU) at various points in a lesson—not just at the end—to ensure that students are grasping key concepts as they are taught.
These CFUs are short, purposeful questions, tasks or interactions that help teachers:
- Guide Instruction
- Improve Success Rates
- Identify Misconceptions
- Provide Immediate Feedback
Students benefit from this approach as well. Frequent checking strengthens their understanding, reduces learning gaps, and boosts long-term memory by reinforcing key concepts and helping them connect new ideas to what they already know.
Questioning: Encouraging Deeper Thinking
One of the most effective ways we check for understanding is through thoughtful, process-based questioning. Instead of focusing only on whether an answer is right or wrong, our teachers are prompting students to explain how they arrived at an answer or why they chose a particular method.
For example:
- “Thanks James, that’s correct—what method did you use?”
- “Interesting strategy Alice. Why did you choose that approach to solve this problem?”
- “Kate, is there a different way of approaching this question?”
By encouraging students to explain their reasoning, justify their choices, and explore alternative approaches, we’re helping them to think critically and metacognitively—skills that are vital not only in mathematics, but across all areas of learning.
Exit Tickets: Fast and Focused Feedback
Another powerful strategy being used is the exit ticket. These are short, targeted questions given at the end of a lesson to check student understanding of a specific part of the learning. Teachers use this immediate feedback to pinpoint which concepts need more attention and to plan the next steps for their class. Importantly, exit tickets only assess material covered in the lesson—they are predictable and responsive.
