How well can students judge the quality of their own work? A study published in Active Learning in Higher Education revisits this question and highlights the complexities of student self-assessment (Gonzalez-Betancor, Bolivar-Cruz & Verano-Tacoronte, 2019). The findings? Students tend to rate themselves higher than their peers or instructors do. Interestingly, those who performed well (as judged by teachers and peers) were more accurate in assessing their own work.
But here’s the catch: we often overlook the social pressures that influence how honestly students assess themselves. When a student knows a teacher will read their self-evaluation, the instinct to impress, or save face, can kick in. It’s no wonder the results are inconsistent.
Still, the real goal isn’t to get students to be honest with us but to help them become honest with themselves. Accurate self-assessment is a crucial life skill. It allows people to reflect, learn, and grow, which are essential traits for success in both professional and personal realms.
Yet in most classrooms, students get little practice. Grading falls to teachers, and the high stakes of grades discourage students from engaging in authentic self-reflection. In other words, grades drive assessment. Thus, teachers drive assessment and therefore create a barrier for students to develop this skill properly.
So what can we do? We can start by openly discussing the value of self-assessment and the emotional hurdles that come with it. Help students understand that critiquing their work is not a judgment of who they are, but a tool for becoming a better student and person.
Teachers can also model the process by sharing feedback on their own work, admitting mistakes, and showing how improvement happens. You may model how you self-assess your one work such as a publication, a conference presentation, or a grant application. Learn other ways to support self-assessment.
And most importantly, ask students not just what they did, but what they’d do better next time. It’s in those reflections that real learning takes root.