Predicting academic performance by self-assessed and objectively measured understanding and self-efficacy

An adequate assessment of what students have understood during the term is an essential precondition for self-regulated learning (SRL) as it allows for adapting learning strategies to enhance academic performance. This study compared self-assessed and objectively measured understanding of the learning material as predictors of academic performance and their interplay with general and academic self-efficacy. In a bachelor’s Psychological Assessment course, 271 psychology students regularly completed online formative assessments (OFA) throughout the term. Before each OFA, they self-assessed how well they had understood the content of the previous lecture. Performance in the OFA was used as an objective measure of understanding. Furthermore, self-efficacy was assessed at the beginning of the term. Both self-assessed and objectively measured understanding were significant predictors of the grade in the final exam as a measure of academic performance. When considered concurrently in a latent regression analysis, only objectively measured understanding predicted academic performance. Academic self-efficacy predicted academic performance above both measures of understanding, maybe because it covers how students deal with the specific demands of the exam. According to the present results, students engaging in SRL should rely on objective indicators of their understanding instead of self-assessments to select appropriate learning strategies.