title: The mechanism of impact of summative assessment on medical students' learning.
abstract: It has become axiomatic that assessment impacts powerfully on student learning, but there is a surprising dearth of research on how. This study explored the mechanism of impact of summative assessment on the process of learning of theory in higher education. Individual, in-depth interviews were conducted with medical students and analyzed qualitatively. The impact of assessment on learning was mediated through various determinants of action. Respondents' learning behaviour was influenced by: appraising the impact of assessment; appraising their learning response; their perceptions of agency; and contextual factors. This study adds to scant extant evidence and proposes a mechanism to explain this impact. It should help enhance the use of assessment as a tool to augment learning.
authors.affiliation: Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa. fjc@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: Francois J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Cilliers
authors.forename: Lambert W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Schuwirth
authors.forename: Hanelie J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Adendorff
authors.forename: Nicoline
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Cees P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van der Vleuten
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D009042:Motivation; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013337:Students, Medical; D013663:Teaching
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