Considering the importance of psychological well-being in the field of education, in the present study, an attempt has been made to study its relationship with motivational beliefs and formative assessment. In addition, the influence of these factors on each other was examined. The final research model indicates a good fit with the research data. To examine the indirect relationship between formative assessment and academic well-being, it is necessary to confirm the relationship between formative assessment and motivational beliefs and motivational beliefs with academic well-being. The relationships of these variables were examined and all of them were significant. These findings are consistent with the results of Rakoczy et al. [20], Naseri, and Karshki [34].
Reviewing the path coefficients in the model indicates that all path coefficients except the path coefficient of formative assessment to academic well-being (β = 0.03) are significant at the level of 0.05. Another finding showed that formative assessment has the ability to predict motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning strategies. The values of direct effects of the model indicated that the highest correlation between developmental measurement and the variable of motivational beliefs was related to the self-efficacy dimension and the lowest correlation was related to the self-regulatory dimension. These findings are consistent with the findings of Granberg, Palm and Palmberg [35] and Hameed and Akhter [36]. A review of theoretical and empirical foundations shows that the direct effect of formative assessment on self-efficacy can be explained by emphasizing the role of performance expectation. Bayers-winston et al. [37] believe that self-efficacy beliefs are theoretically created and maintained by four classes of experiences that Bandura refers to as sources: performance success, learning succession, verbal persuasion, and arousal. Emotional; In the meantime, the success of a performance or personal experience has by far the strongest unique connection with self-efficacy beliefs. On the other hand, studies have shown that formative assessment has a positive effect on learning and can improve the teaching and learning process by providing effective feedback [12]. In fact, it can be inferred from these two studies that developmental assessment provides a good basis for improving learning processes and ultimately academic achievement. Thus, recalling past efforts for well-judged academic assignments increases self-efficacy. In other words, a person's personal history of having the ability to study provides primary information about self-efficacy in the present. Also in the present study, internal value and test anxiety were also affected by formative assessment. Explaining this finding, it can be said that formative assessment facilitates active participation in the learning environment and allows students to receive effective feedback. Reeve believes that performance feedback in its various forms - from homework, from self or others - is emotionally important and activates the student. He may feel so satisfied and competent that he sets higher and more difficult goals for himself. In this case, by accepting the goal of mastery, the person may overcome the challenges according to the criteria set by him and experience more inner motivation [14]. The results of Sanaeifar and Nafarzade have also shown that formative assessment has a significant effect on reducing test anxiety [38]. One possible reason for this finding could be that when learners are exposed to formative assessment, their self-confidence increases and they gradually improve their sense of test and reduce their level of anxiety. Also, the results of the present study showed that cognitive and self-regulatory strategies were influenced by formative assessment. This finding is consistent with various studies [39–40]. Explaining this result, it can be said that formative assessment improves the mental activities used to store and maintain information by stimulating learners' attention and concentration. [21]. Students' use of cognitive strategies increases their awareness of the strategies, which results in strengthening metacognition and self-regulation [41]. Formative assessment also provides for learner with the opportunity to learn about learning and its strengths or weaknesses. By receiving feedback and information, the student evaluates and reflects on them, which in turn leads to a more conscious pre-performance foresight. As noted in the review of the research background, self-regulation is a cyclical process that includes planning, performance, and evaluation.
Another result of this study shows that motivational beliefs affect academic well-being. There was a positive relationship between self-efficacy, internal value, cognitive and self-regulatory strategies with academic well-being and a negative relationship with test anxiety. Consistent with the findings of the present study, the results of sahraei, shokri, khanbani and hakimi showed that self-efficacy have the ability to predict academic well-being [23]. Lee and Jeon also showed that self-efficacy had the greatest effect on the burnout component of medical student’s well-being [42]. Bandura state that after self-efficacy beliefs are formed, they affect human performance in different ways. Learning is always accompanied by problems and failures to some extent. Self-efficacy after such obstacles leads to a rapid improvement in self-belief and increases effort and endurance. People with strong self-efficacy pay attention to the necessities of the task and show enthusiasm, interest and optimism. In contrast, people with poor self-efficacy pay attention to personal shortcomings and suffer from pessimism, anxiety, and depression. Bandura states that the main cause of anxiety is low self-efficacy [43, 44]. These findings are important hints for adaptation and well-being in education. Motivational beliefs are related to the way we think, feel and behave positively and productively. Students with poor self-efficacy feel that they make little progress, and this feeling leads to dissatisfaction and negative emotions. Such emotional and motivational states, if experienced too much, will ultimately erode academic well-being.
The proposed model also showed that formative assessment is indirectly related to academic well-being through the mediation of motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, internal value, test anxiety and cognitive strategies and self-regulation). According to this model, it can be said that formative assessment promotes students' motivational beliefs and promotes their beliefs of self-efficacy, internal value, cognitive and self-regulatory strategies, and academic well-being. In this case, a study that examined the relationship between formative assessment and academic well-being according to the proposed model of the present study was not found, so the results of this study are compared with the research of Leenknecht et al. [24]. In their model, formative assessment and learning motivation are related, and the basic psychological needs of students mediate this relationship. The results of their study showed that the perception of formative assessment was associated with a greater sense of autonomy and competence as well as greater motivation to learn. Also, the findings of the present study are consistent with the findings of Rakoczy et al. [20] and Yousefi Afrashteh [21]. Motivational beliefs are influenced by formative assessment [34] and also academic well-being is influenced by motivational beliefs [23]. Formative assessment facilitates active participation in the learning environment and enables students to receive immediate feedback [45]. Receiving feedback allows students to be aware of their own progress toward the goal. Formative assessment provides a positive reinforcement for students to learn small units of the lesson. According to Tolman (1949), reinforcers are not necessary for learning but are important for motivating [46]. On the other hand, enhanced motivational beliefs increase academic well-being by improving academic performance and reducing academic stress [47, 23]. Formative assessment helps students monitor their progress. This makes cognitive learning strategies more effective and improves self-regulation, which in turn promotes their learning and creates the belief that learning is accessible and controllable, which in turn It leads to higher self-efficacy, internal value, and lower test stress and anxiety, and may ultimately lead to increased academic well-being.
Although the present study provides information in the context of motivational beliefs, academic well-being and formative assessment, the research sample (a group of medical students) raises limitations in the field of generalized findings that should be considered. Therefore, it is suggested that similar studies be conducted in other universities. Also, considering the use of path analysis in the present study, the conclusion of cause and effect should be made with caution. The aim of this study was to test several causal hypotheses, but the results can not achieve the direction of causality. It is suggested that future research provide better explanatory and experimental conditions through more controlled studies. Based on the results, specific applications can be recommended for medical education planners. Considering the relationship between formative assessment and students' motivational beliefs and academic well-being, it is suggested that the medical education system pay special attention to classroom assessment methods and encourage teachers to use the formative assessment approach.