Perceived control decisions in preparation for a summative achievement test in higher education

Abstract

Most courses in higher education finish with one or more assessments which commonly all have to be passed. In these courses, student learning is commonly measured using conventional classroom tests, therefore test preparation is a common task for students. In higher education, compared with students’ prior education, they are faced with a more complex curriculum and have to perform their studies with less guidance and limited resources. Therefore, effective and efficient test preparation is important. A strategy to help students study effectively in the context of test preparation is to make the appropriate control decisions, for instance to cease test preparation on specific content and (re) study other subjects that need attention. These control decisions are an important psychological aspect of the test preparation study process. We conducted a qualitative study on how students made control decisions in a test preparation period for a knowledge test in Educational Sciences. The study was conducted with students of a teacher training program at a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Results show that different progressions of learning judgments and the self-efficacy of students led to two different saturations. This in turn led to students making either no, inaccurate, or accurate control decisions. This article discusses the impact and practical implications of these insights.

Formative Use of Assessment to Foster Self-Regulated Learning: the Alignment of Teachers’ Conceptions and Classroom Assessment Practices

“…Although information from assessments used for summative purposes potentially can be of value, the common endof-semester assignments seldom contribute to the development of SRL. Research shows that in order to cope with the perceived assessment demands, students consciously or subconsciously vary their study approaches (Harrison et al, 2015(Harrison et al, , 2017Van der Linden et al, 2023;Van der Linden et al, 2021). This coping is often referred to as the backwash-effect of assessment or the pre-assessment effect (Segers et al, 2006).…”

“…This coping is often referred to as the backwash-effect of assessment or the pre-assessment effect (Segers et al, 2006). Students seldom change the way they learn after a summative assessment, precisely because students can no longer do anything with the information it provides, especially if they pass the test (Gijbels et al, 2008;Van der Linden et al, 2023). This is in line with Leenknecht and Carless who point us to one of the key problems with these end-of-semester assessments: "One of the key identified problems is that students are often relatively passively positioned as recipients of unidirectional written feedback after submitting end-of-semester assignments, so often find teacher inputs not useful or actionable" (2023, p. 1).…”

“…What and how students learn depends, among other things, greatly on how they self-regulate their learning (Biwer et al, 2022;Boekaerts, 1999;Kitsantas, 2013;Pintrich, 2000;Van der Linden et al, 2021;Winne & Hadwin, 1998). The most cited definition of SRL, and the one that we will use, is from Zimmerman: "Self-regulation refers to self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions that are planned and cyclically adapted to the attainment of personal goals" (2000, p. 14).…”

“…The most cited definition of SRL, and the one that we will use, is from Zimmerman: "Self-regulation refers to self-generated thoughts, feelings, and actions that are planned and cyclically adapted to the attainment of personal goals" (2000, p. 14). It is therefore important for students to be able to monitor and regulate their learning and to develop these SRL skills (Butler et al, 2017;Kitsantas, 2013;Schunk & Zimmerman, 2012;Van der Linden et al, 2023;Van Loon, 2014).…”

“…HE teachers' conceptions of the formative use of assessment to foster SRL have an influence on their classroom assessment practices (Barnes et al, 2017;Brown et al, 2019;Opre, 2015). In turn, teachers' assessment practices can have a major influence on student learning and on the regulation of this learning process (Becker et al, 1968;Boekaerts & Corno, 2005;Broekkamp & Van Hout-Wolters, 2007;Fernandez & Jamet, 2017;Greene, 2020;Norman et al, 2010;Nugent et al, 2019;Van der Linden et al, 2021). The probability for such a rich environment most conducive for developing SRL is high where teachers are cognizant of the need to create the necessary classroom assessment practices.…”