Do Self-Assessment Interventions Have an Effect on Students' Self-Regulated Learning and Self-Efficacy? A Meta-Analysis

• In Event: Toward the Integration of Formative Assessment and Self-Regulated Learning

Abstract

1. Objectives and theoretical framework

Research about student self-assessment (SSA) has shown that academic performance tends to increase for students trained in SSA, and that SSA training may increase the use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies (Brown & Harris, 2013). SSA seems to play an important role in students’ academic success and student empowerment (Panadero, Brown, & Strijbos, 2016). There is widespread advocacy for SSA as a powerful educational learning process. It has been recommended that a “SSA curriculum” should be developed so that students may learn SSA skills in the context of classroom activities (Brown & Harris, 2014).
The educational gains from SSA seem to be related to the enhancement of ownership of learning and use of self-regulatory strategies. SSA can contribute to student learning by, for instance, enhancing clarity of learning goals, involving students in monitoring learning processes and facilitating reflection (Brown & Harris, 2013). SSA might support students’ self-efficacy (SE), by facilitating a deeper understanding of the task at hand and what it takes to perform it (Andrade, Wang, Du, & Akawi, 2009).
The relationships between SSA and SRL on the one hand and SE on the other, have been claimed theoretically, but without a proper analysis of the empirical support accumulated (Panadero, Jonsson & Strijbos, 2016). This study uses meta-analytic methodology to explore the evidence accumulated on the relationships between SSA-SRL and SSA-SE respectively.

2. Method

Twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analyses. Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effect model. Inter-study variance was estimated by the maximum likelihood method. Hedges and Olkin’s procedures were employed for analyzing effect sizes. Publication bias was explored analyzing deviations from symmetry in the funnel plot. We also calculated the Orwin’s fail-safe number.

3. Results

SSA have a positive effect on SRL. The combined effect size is small for learning-oriented SRL (13 ES’s; mean ES = .24), medium for performance/avoidance-oriented SRL (6 ES’s; mean ES = -.65), and for qualitative measures of SRL (3 ES’s; mean ES = .43). One meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of SSA interventions on SE. The combined effect size for 27 studies was .73.
Co-variables, such as gender and SSA intensity, had no statistically significant influence on SRL. In relation to SE, girls seemed to benefit more from SSA interventions compared to boys [Q(1) = 5.271; p = .022]. A more comprehensive implementation of SSA seemed to result in a larger effect on students’ SE [Q(1) = 10.039; p = .002] .

4. Conclusions and scientific significance

The findings from this study confirm the theoretical connection between SSA and SRL/SE. By training in SSA, students’ use of self-regulating strategies increase, while their use of performance/avoidance strategies decrease. SSA interventions support students’ SE. Girls tend to benefit more from such interventions, at least in relation to SE.
The lack of statistical significance in the SRL analyses can be due to the low number of studies investigating the effects on SRL. SSA intensity made a difference in relation to SE, but not in relation to SRL.

Authors

• Ernesto Panadero, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

• Anders Jonsson

• Juan Botella