Philippine E-Journals

Students’ Response to Self-Assessment Practice Test and its Relation to Physics Achievement

Carolina P. Sangga

 

Abstract:

The study was conducted to determine students’ response to self-assessment practice test and its relation to physics achievement. It delved into determining if the response of students exposed to self-assessment practice test would enhance their performance in an actual major examination.

Students’ response to self-assessment practice test was expected to enhance student achievement in physics.

The sample consisted of 146 physics students enrolled during the second semester of SY 2007-2008 at the Technological Institute of the Philippines, Quezon City.

Self-assessment practice test given before the conduct of the actual major exam with a purpose of exposing the students to a test in terms of format, content, and skills being tested. Immediately after taking and getting the result of the test, students were asked to accomplish the questionnaire on their attitudes towards self-assessment practice test to capture their response to the practice test.

Results show that majority of the students perceived the self-assessment practice test as more difficult than they expected. Students also showed an indication that after taking the practice test; they are not ready to take the actual test. The data also revealed that almost all students manifested and showed positive response to self-assessment practice test. However, despite the favorable response of the students, the score obtained from the practice and actual test did not differ significantly. Only about half of the students passed the graded actual exam. A slight positive correlation was also obtained between students’ response to self-assessment practice test and score in the actual test.

Based on the findings of the study, this research concludes that majority of the students perceived the self-assessment practice as more difficult than they expected and after taking the practice test more than half said that they are not ready to take the actual prelim exam. But on the average, students have a positive attitude towards self-assessment practice test. Students recognize the importance of practice test as a means of enhancing their physics achievement because it motivates and encourages them to study more. Students who took the self-assessment practice test improved their physics achievement by more than 50% and a mean gain of almost 5 points. Among students who took the self-assessment practice test, less than half passed the actual examination. There is a slight positive relationship between students’ response to self-assessment practice test and physics achievement.