How Do Lower-Secondary Students Exercise Agency During Formative Peer Assessment?

Abstract

Exercising agency is an inherent component of peer assessment. However, the research on agency in peer assessment is scarce. This case study explored how seventh grade science students exercised agency during formative peer assessment. The data comprises audio recordings of students’ classroom discussions, written peer feedback, written work, student interviews, and the researcher’s field notes. With thematic analysis, we identified nine forms of agency as associated with three positions: group member, assessor, and assessee. An examination of student interactions revealed that peer assessment challenges students unequally. While some students exercised certain forms of agency without difficulty—judging their peers’ work, for example—others needed help. One reason participants fell short in advancing their and one another’s learning during peer assessment was their difficulty exercising agency. Hence, equipping students with knowledge, skills, and a sense of responsibility is not enough; rather, their agency needs to be supported to enable the productive implementation of peer assessment.