Self‐assessment and the disadvantaged student: potential for encouraging self‐regulated learning?
Abstract
The Science Foundation Programme (SFP) at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg attempts to address past educational inequalities by providing disadvantaged matriculants with the skills, resources and self‐confidence needed to embark on their tertiary studies. Students entering the Programme typically adopt a surface approach to learning with emphasis being placed on high score achievement which results in a mark‐driven attitude towards assessment. Students also lack the metacognitive skills associated with a deep approach to learning. Within this mark‐driven culture, it is important to attempt to move students away from such a superficial approach to learning and assessment. Worldwide, self‐assessment practice has been gaining recognition, and it has been linked to the adoption of a deep approach to learning; self‐regulated learning and the development of metacognitive skills. In the biology module of the Programme, students are given two essay assignments, tasks that are routinely performed very poorly. In attempt to improve SFP students’ essay writing abilities, a self‐assessment scheme to accompany the essay tasks was instituted, hoping that this would get the students to engage with the assessment criteria. It was intended that students would not only fulfil the requirements of the task better, but also achieve the valuable skill of self‐assessment. The results provide overwhelming evidence that SFP students cannot accurately self‐assess. Their naivety and in…
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Many learners have underdeveloped self-regulated learning (SRL) skills.
“However, the literature shows that many learners have underdeveloped self-regulated learning (SRL) skills (Kirby and Downs, 2007; DiFrancesca et al., 2016).”
From Towards reliable generative AI-driven scaffolding: Reducing hallucinations and enhancing quality in self-regulated learning support (2026) · cites this paper as Kirby and Downs, 2007
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- Authors
- Kirby, N. F., & Downs, C. T.
- Affiliations
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Kirby, Nicola F.
- ORCID
- Downs, Colleen T.
- Venue
- Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2007-08
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 475-494
- ISSN
- 0260-2938 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-297X
- OpenAlex
- W2086219048
- Cited by
- 70
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 17.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Inyuvesi Yakwazulu-Natali
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Student Assessment and Feedback
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Evaluation of Teaching Practices
- Keywords
- self-assessment, student self-regulation, disadvantaged students, educational inequality, deep approach to learning, metacognitive skills, essay writing, evaluation criteria, student self-confidence, biology education
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