{"paper_id":"1fb57fc4-322e-400a-8c2c-0a485eae6884","body_text":"Formative Assessment Practice in Sustainable Science Teacher Education: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to the Holistic, Dynamic, and Cyclical Process of Capital Activation and Competency Development | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Formative Assessment Practice in Sustainable Science Teacher Education: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to the Holistic, Dynamic, and Cyclical Process of Capital Activation and Competency Development MINMIN REN, Rose Amnah Binti Abd Rauf, Kah Heng Chua This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9138618/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Embedding formative assessment within sustainable professional development aligns with the global shift toward competency-based education, yet few studies quantitatively conceptualize it as a holistic, dynamic, and cyclical system in science teacher education. Drawing on Learning Progressions Theory and Personal Assessment Practice Theory, this study investigates the mechanisms linking psychological capital, professional capital, organizational culture, formative assessment practice, and teacher competency. Data from 612 fourth-year pre-service science teachers at normal universities in Inner Mongolia, eighteen structural models and seventy-two hypotheses were tested via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicate that formative assessment practice activates internal and external capital resources, functioning as a catalyst that strategically mobilizes these resources to enhance teacher competency. The study offers a theoretically grounded and empirically validated framework for embedding assessment-driven feedback, reflection, and adaptive instruction into teacher preparation, offering practical guidance for designing sustainable, competency-oriented programs that foster continuous professional growth. Social science/Education Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing Biological sciences/Psychology Social science/Psychology sustainable professional development formative assessment practice psychological capital professional capital organizational culture teacher competency Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 12 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 22 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 29 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 29 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 28 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 28 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 28 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-9138618\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":615540167,\"identity\":\"caad3480-b3eb-404b-8c35-c10505da8d28\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"MINMIN REN\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Malaya\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"MINMIN\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"REN\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":615540168,\"identity\":\"bb7c14fc-1121-41d5-998f-45b778a35307\",\"order_by\":1,\"name\":\"Rose Amnah Binti Abd Rauf\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Malaya\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Rose\",\"middleName\":\"Amnah Binti Abd\",\"lastName\":\"Rauf\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":615540169,\"identity\":\"a26b09cc-6ce3-4f87-8a41-df23c6236e54\",\"order_by\":2,\"name\":\"Kah Heng Chua\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAsUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCQYGxsYGGxibeC1ppGs5TIIW/tk9hh9n7jifuLaB+eBtHoZtiQ0ELblzxlhy45nbidsOsCVb8zDcJqzFQCLHQPJhG0gLj5k0sVqMfz5sOwfUwv+NaC1mkhvbDoBsYSNOi8SNtDLLmW3JxtsOsxlbzjG4bUxQC/+M5M03e9vsZLcdb354403FbVmCWhCAGexOBkcStECBPck6RsEoGAWjYNgDAIIdQYv0HpwRAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Malaya\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Kah\",\"middleName\":\"Heng\",\"lastName\":\"Chua\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2026-03-16 13:41:38\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9138618/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9138618/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":106401935,\"identity\":\"fb030117-bf63-480d-8f5d-3a33393139c3\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2026-04-08 09:10:16\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":1,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":6435788,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"Manuscriptblinded.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9138618/v1_covered_8c0585a8-7e5e-4a67-a3ef-649b8b3ff00a.pdf\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"No competing interests reported.\",\"formattedTitle\":\"Formative Assessment Practice in Sustainable Science Teacher Education: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to the Holistic, Dynamic, and Cyclical Process of Capital Activation and Competency Development\",\"fulltext\":[],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":false,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":false,\"hideJournal\":false,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":true,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":true,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":false,\"externalIdentity\":\"palcomms\",\"sideBox\":\"Learn more about [Humanities \\u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)\",\"snPcode\":\"41599\",\"submissionUrl\":\"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3\",\"title\":\"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications\",\"twitterHandle\":\"\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":true,\"editorialSystem\":\"stoa\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"Nature AJ\",\"inReviewEnabled\":true,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":false},\"keywords\":\"sustainable professional development; formative assessment practice; psychological capital, professional capital, organizational culture, teacher competency\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9138618/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9138618/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003eEmbedding formative assessment within sustainable professional development aligns with the global shift toward competency-based education, yet few studies quantitatively conceptualize it as a holistic, dynamic, and cyclical system in science teacher education. 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