The Relationship between Performance and Confidence in the Secondary-School Version of the Test of Calculus and Vectors in Mathematics and Physics

Abstract In this study, we compare students’ performance in solving mathematics and physics exercises with their confidence level in answering them. Accurate self-assessment of confidence is known to positively correlate with academic achievement, yet confidence is often neglected when designing teaching interventions. The research presented here aimed at investigating the relationship between students’ confidence levels and test scores and its evolution over a short lesson cycle. We also examine the presence of gender-based differences. The study was first conducted with a pilot group of 43 secondary school students and later expanded to 260 students. A modified version of the Test of Calculus and Vectors in Mathematics and Physics was used, incorporating confidence assessment for each item. Results suggest that, while test scores and confidence levels improved overall following the lesson cycle, this did not translate into a better “calibration” of the students (i.e., the alignment between confidence level and actual performance). Specifically, male students became more overconfident, whereas female students became more underconfident. These findings support taking into account confidence when designing teaching interventions and using confidence assessment practices to train students’ self-assessment skills.