Self-assessment in schools: A systematic review of pedagogical approaches and student outcomes

Despite concerns about its validity and reliability, student self-assessment (SSA) plays an important role in learning. Through SSA, students engage in metacognitive and self-regulatory processes that result in improved learning outcomes. This systematic review examined how SSA was taught and assessed in school settings. Of the 659 peer-reviewed articles that were screened, only twelve empirical articles provided clear evidence of how SSA strategies and approaches were taught and assessed. A narrative synthesis of these articles revealed that explicit instruction and modelling of SSA strategies and repeated and scaffolded opportunities for student practice were linked to improved learning outcomes.