Effects of formative assessments to develop self-regulation among sixth grade students: Results from a randomized controlled intervention

This article presents the results of a formative assessment intervention in writing assignments in sixth grade. We examined whether the formative assessments (i.e. peer and self-assessment) would improve self-regulation, motivation and self-efficacy among sixth graders, and whether differential effects exist between formative assessment forms. The study lasted for 27 weeks. Participants (N = 695) were exposed to one of three conditions: peer assessment intervention, self-assessment intervention, or a control condition. The interventions were delivered in a whole-classroom format. The results of a multilevel analysis showed that the use of formative assessment to develop self-regulation among students was effective for both intervention groups. Also, motivation was affected in both intervention groups. Finally, no significant differences were found between the peer assessment intervention and the self-assessment intervention concerning self-regulation, motivation, or self-efficacy. The implications of these results are discussed.