Student Self-Assessment

• Published in: SAGE Handbook of Research on Classroom Assessment
• Main Authors: Gavin T. L. Brown, Lois R. Harris
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications, Incorporated 2012
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Accuracy; Evaluation methods; Examinations & assessment; Literature reviews; Metacognition; Primary secondary education; Self evaluation (Individuals); Student participation; Student perceptions; Teaching skills & techniques
• ISBN: 1412995876; 9781412995870
• DOI: 10.4135/9781452218649.n21

During the last two decades, student self-assessment has been strongly endorsed as an important aspect of formative assessment through the global assessment for learning (AFL) movement. Student self-assessment is not new, with Brookhart (2009) noting that even in the 1930s and 1940s there were numerous authors endorsing the use of student self-evaluation. However, self-assessment is seldom implemented in many classrooms. Limited implementation of self assessment likely relates to the tensions teachers report between the use of student-led assessment practices and the externally and teacher-controlled summative results generally reported to stakeholders. There is general consensus that self-assessment is positive and leads to benefits for students. Perhaps the most powerful promise of self-assessment is that it can raise student academic performance by teaching pupils self-regulatory processes, allowing them to compare their own work with socially defined goals and revise. The logic is that, like self-regulation, self-evaluation of the quality attributes of one's own work draws on metacognitive competencies (e.g., self-observation, self-judgment, self-reaction, task analysis, self-motivation, and self-control) (Zimmerman, 2002). Additionally, there is evidence that students can improve their self-regulation skills through self-assessment (i.e., set targets, evaluate progress relative to target criteria, and improve the quality of their learning outcomes). Furthermore, self-assessment is associated with improved motivation, engagement, and efficacy, reducing dependence on the teacher. It is also seen as a potential way for teachers to reduce their own assessment workload, making students more responsible for tracking their progress and feedback provision. This chapter reviews relevant empirical studies concerning the use of student self-assessment in the compulsory school sector (K-12) to help establish which claims about self-assessment are empirically supported. Previous reviews of this topic have focused primarily on higher education students. This chapter contributes to our understanding of self-assessment in public schooling. [Author abstract]