The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives, practices, challenges, coping mechanisms, and insights of elementary teachers on formative assessment in selected public schools in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. There were ten elementary teachers selected using purposive sampling technique: five participated in in-depth interviews, and five participated in focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed that teachers’ practices included monitoring students’ continuous progress through daily checks, observations, exit tickets, and performance tracking; guiding instructional decisions by adjusting teaching strategies, identifying learning gaps, and planning interventions; supporting student growth by providing timely feedback, encouraging reflection, and building learner confidence; personalizing learning strategies based on students’ individual needs, pace, and abilities; and promoting interactive engagement through collaborative activities, peer assessment, and real-life connections. Teachers experienced challenges such as dealing with diverse and varied learning abilities, managing environmental constraints like large class sizes and limited resources, and experiencing time and workload pressures related to multiple responsibilities and assessment demands. As coping mechanisms, teachers applied instructional adjustments and flexibility, utilized collaborative and peer support, practiced reflective and emotional self-regulation, and innovated and adapted available resources to meet classroom needs. Furthermore, teachers shared insights highlighting the importance of providing feedback and tracking progress to enhance student motivation, using data-informed instruction to guide teaching decisions, aligning classroom assessment with school-wide performance goals, and implementing targeted instructional support based on assessment data. The results of this study are significant to teachers, learners, school administrators, Department of Education officials, and future researchers, as they provide a deeper understanding of formative assessment practices and contribute to the development of effective strategies that support responsive, data-driven, and student-centered learning environments.