Modeling the Structural Relationships among Formative Assessment, Feedback Literacy, Self-Regulated Learning, and EFL Achievement: Evidence from Iraqi Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the structural relationships among formative assessment, feedback literacy, self-regulated learning, and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) achievement among Iraqi university students. The study adopted a quantitative correlational design to investigate how formative assessment practices influence students’ feedback literacy and self-regulated learning, and how these variables contribute to EFL achievement. Data were collected from undergraduate students enrolled in English departments at several Iraqi universities through validated questionnaires. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships among the study variables. The findings revealed that formative assessment significantly predicted feedback literacy and self-regulated learning. Moreover, self-regulated learning demonstrated a positive effect on students’ EFL achievement. The results also indicated that feedback literacy played a mediating role between formative assessment and self-regulated learning. The study highlights the importance of integrating formative assessment practices and developing students’ feedback literacy to enhance autonomous learning and language achievement in Iraqi higher education contexts. The findings provide pedagogical implications for EFL instructors, curriculum designers, and educational policymakers.