Toward a Praxis-Oriented Understanding of Student Self-Assessment in STEAM Education: How Exemplary Educators Leverage Self-Assessment

Abstract

ABSTRACT While researchers have begun to develop theories of assessment to support integrated learning within Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education, the role of student self-assessment (SSA) – a core aspect of classroom assessment – has been understudied. The purpose of this research was to develop an initial praxis-oriented understanding of how exemplary STEAM educators provoke SSA in integrated learning. Through an in-depth qualitative methodology drawing on interview and artefact data from 14 purposefully selected exemplary STEAM teachers, this study identified seven types of SSA activities: (a) self-documentation of learning; (b) reflection; (c) making metacognitive processes explicit; (d) prototype testing and revision; (e) goal setting; (f) self-testing; and (g) interactional SSA. Superimposed on the engineering design process, a process commonly leveraged to integrate disciplines in STEAM education, results provide a nuanced understanding of how exemplary STEAM educators leverage SSA, advancing assessment theory and practice in integrated education.