The literature review suggests that to encourage self-regulation in the classroom, students need to be engaged in authentic assessments. Using a case study approach at a high ability, all-girls school, the present study sought to investigate the differences between students’ use of self-regulated learning (SRL) in conventional paper-and-pen task and an authentic assessment task, as well as factors that mediate or hinder students’ SRL.
The study followed an across-stage mixed model design, using sequentially quantitative and qualitative phases, with the latter conducted to inform the former. Quantitative data on SRL was gathered using a self-report questionnaire based on Zimmerman’s (2002) cyclical Forethought, Performance and Self-reflection model of self-regulation. Participants, comprising 405 secondary four students, were assigned two Language Arts tasks that tapped on the same cognitive skills, except that one was a paper-and-pen task while the other was an authentic assessment task.
A comparison of the SRL scores of the two tasks, using a paired sample t-test, showed a statistically significant difference in favour of the authentic assessment task, specifically at the Forethought phase and the Self-reflection phase. An even more nuanced understanding was arrived at after analysis at the level of individual questions.
The inferences based on the quantitative analysis were verified by observation and interview data from six students. The interviews focussed mainly on the two assessment tasks they had completed, but also probed for students’ experiences of assessments in general. The students’ comments corroborated the literature review that real life setting, student control (with respect to choice of material) and student’s ability to self-assess facilitated students’ SRL. Furthermore, the study provided a clearer picture of how these factors are linked.