Master of Education Major in Science Education

Teachers using self-assessment in classrooms understand its vital role in a student’s ability to understand their own learning. The diversity of the student learners requires a diversity of assessment strategies. Specifically, in an inquiry-based science classroom, students must be able to identify their current skills and their areas of growth. The implementation of self-assessment strategies helps students to set goals and achieve them. I believe effective self-assessment is a critical link between assessment activities and improved metacognition. It is link that we teachers often fail to acknowledge. I suspect that effective teachers teach students how to carry out self-assessment on their understanding of course content. Less effective teachers may provide self-assessment opportunities, but they are either not effectively designed, or students may not recognize the importance of these opportunities or know how to take advantage of them.