<b>Does Peer Assessment Frequency Matter? Evidence from Secondary School Mathematics</b>

Source abstract

This study investigated the effects of peer assessment (PA) frequency on secondary school students’ mathematics performance. Specifically, the study explored differences in mathematics performance between students who participated in PA at varying frequencies and those who practiced traditional assessment. A concurrent embedded mixed methods design was employed, incorporating a quasi-experimental, pretest–posttest control group design. The study involved 259 Form Three students from three experimental groups and a control group. The experimental groups participated in PA once per week, twice per week, or three times per week, while the control group had traditional assessment practices. Data were collected using mathematics achievement tests administered before and after the intervention and student focus group discussion. Quantitative data were analyzed using a multiple comparison test to determine whether students’ performance differed significantly across different frequencies of PA, while qualitative responses were analyzed thematically. The findings discovered that all experimental groups significantly outperformed the control group. However, no significant difference was detected between the twice per week and three times per week groups. The study concludes that conducting PA twice per week represents an optimal PA frequency for improving mathematics performance. This entails practical implications for formative assessment practices in secondary school mathematics classrooms.