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Quantitative studies of student self-assessment in higher education: a critical analysis of findings

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Abstract

Student self-assessment occurs when learners make judgements about aspects of their own performance. This paper focuses on one aspect of quantitative self-assessments: the comparison of student-generated marks with those generated by teachers. Studies including such comparisons in the context of higher education courses are reviewed and the following questions are addressed: (i) do students tend to over- or under-rate themselves vis-á-vis teachers?, (ii) do students of different abilities have the same tendencies?, (iii) do students in different kinds or levels of course tend to under- or over-rate themselves?, (iv) do students improve their ability to rate themselves over time or with practice?, (v) are the same tendencies evident when self-marks are used for formal assessment purposes?, and (vi) are there gender differences in self-rating? The paper also discusses methodological issues in studies of this type and makes recommendations concerning the analysis and presentation of information.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professional Development Centre, University of New South Wales, 2033, Kensington, NSW, Australia

    David Boud & Nancy Falchikov

  2. Napier Polytechnic, Edinburgh, Scotland

    David Boud & Nancy Falchikov

  3. Honorary Visiting Fellow in the former Tertiary Education Research Centre, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia

    David Boud & Nancy Falchikov

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Boud, D., Falchikov, N. Quantitative studies of student self-assessment in higher education: a critical analysis of findings. High Educ 18, 529–549 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00138746

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