Empowering Autonomy: Exploring Students’ Perceptions of Peer and Self-Assessment in Self- Regulated Learning

Abstract The success of peer and self-assessment is heavily dependent on the students who actively participate in the assessment processes. It is, therefore, very necessary to consciously consider their preferences, choices, and levels of readiness in order to enhance the effectiveness of these strategies. In this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study, a criterion sampling technique was employed to select 15 Ghanaian students to explore their perspectives on both self-assessment and peer assessment. The findings of the study indicate that students view peer and self-assessment as beneficial for (a) fostering learner responsibility and ownership; (b) enhancing learning engagement despite time constraints; (c) deepening insight into the assessment process; and (d) building assessment literacy and diagnosing learning needs. In addition, students acknowledged that peer and self-assessment encouraged them to become more reflective, improved their ability to give and receive constructive feedback, and strengthened their collaboration and interpersonal skills. The study’s conclusions suggest that teachers should encourage students to participate more actively in peer and self-assessment activities. When carefully guided, such practices not only improve academic performance but also foster sustainable assessment, self-regulated learning, and the development of lifelong learning skills essential for success in higher education and beyond.