Student Self-Assessment and Self-Evaluation

Current recommendations for alternative assessment call for more student involvement in the evaluation process. Although very little research on student self-evaluation has been carried out beyond determining how well students' perceptions of their achievement align with their teacher's perceptions, the Assessment Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1995) supports activities that involve students in evaluating their own progress. According to the Assessment Standards , student self-assessment can be used to improve students' confidence in their ability to do mathematics and allow them to become more independent in their learning of mathematics. We have employed student self-assessment and self-evaluation in our high school and college mathematics classes and have found that the processes engage students in evaluating their progress, aid in developing their communication skills, and increase their mathematics vocabulary. Most important, students reflect on their understanding of mathematics and on their ability to learn mathematics. Although our procedures differ somewhat, as we describe subsequently, our goal of involving students in the evaluation process is the same.