Abstract

Self-assessment is an entirely human process; no machines or statistics can take the place of the learner’s own self-awareness. The student’s context, personal life, values, ideas, personality, abilities, and traits all filter, guide, and even warp the judgments he or she makes about learning and performance on academic tasks. This chapter examines the individual and social influences on student self-assessment, including (a) intra-individual competence and confidence in self-assessment, (b) interpersonal relations with teachers/instructors who require students to conduct and perhaps share their self-assessments, (c) interpersonal relations with peers, in front of whom students are sometimes required to carry out self-assessments, and (d) the students’ cultural contexts. We suggest that the power of self-assessment is dependent upon the conditions under which it is implemented.