The researchers have given somewhat different definitions to formative assessment (Sadler, 1998; Taras 2005). The main purpose of formative assessment is to accelerate student learning by giving them information on what is missing between current and desired result. Different definitions show that the process of feedback is an essential part of formative assessment.

In Estonia formative assessment is mainly addressed in the concept of general education. There are some materials and studies about formative assessment in comprehensive schools (e.g. Toomela, 2010) whereas no studies have been conducted about formative assessment in higher education. In higher education the importance of formative assessment and feedback is relevant for students to become independent learners. Good feedback focuses on learners’ needs, how to develop further through specific recommendations on what to change and how to do it. Feedback helps learners to develop, supports self-analysis and students’ self-regulation skills. Students with self-regulation set goals for themselves, reflect on their work, make an effort to reach to the set goals (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006).

The importance of formative assessment in higher education has been stressed by former researchers in their previous studies (e.g. Asghar, 2012). What is more, different researches around the world show that formative assessment can promote learning and motivate students (Carrillo-de-la Pena, Bailles, Caseras, Martinez, Ortet, & Perez, 2009) but can also demotivate (Wingate, 2010). In students understandings effective feedback is written feedback that points out the positive, is clear, constructive, direct and gives students instructions what kind of changes need to be done in future (Ferguson, 2011). At the same time it is found that the students preferred oral feedback, claiming that students may not understand the written feedback. Written feedback is primarily the tutors monologue (Bloxham & Campbell, 2010; Blair & McGinty, 2012). Tutors lack a clear understanding of how students use the feedback and how does the given feedback help the students (Bailey & Garner, 2010). Since there are many controversial studies on formative assessment and in Estonian context the topic is under researched, it is important to study students’ perceptions and experiences of formative assessment in higher education. The focus of the study is on teacher education students. It is important to study pre-service teachers’ perceptions and experiences of formative assessment, as they affect the later studies of others (Ferguson, 2011; Asghar, 2012).

The aim of the research was to find out what are students’ perceptions and experiences of formative assessment in university. The research questions of the present study were as follows:

1. How do students understand formative assessment?
2. What are students’ experiences of formative assessment in university?
3. What kind of feedback do students expect and how it is used in their studies?

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