Self-assessment like other types of assessment has been undervalued as a secondary
assessment tool with the lack of objectivity and reliability being a main culprit in the language
testing/assessment area. This paper, however, argues that the legitimacy of self-assessment is
not drawn from the assessment itself, but should be evaluated by looking into what students
perceive and, accordingly, how they engage in learning through the assessment process.
The current study attempts to reveal possible changes over time in a particular student(with
a pseudonym of BK)’s perceptions of self-assessment and her interactions with other students
in a small-group discussion setting. Ten sessions of self-assessment, a student questionnaire,
in-depth interviews, and teacher observation logs made throughout a semester were collected
for data analysis under the framework of Vygotsky’s activity theory. The findings of the study
are two-fold. First, BK’s perceptions changed positively toward self-assessment under the
influence of the group and the instructor. In addition, BK’s positive perceptions helped her to
take charge of her studies through active preparation and participation in group activities.
This study suggests that an understanding of self-assessment as a main assessment tool be
enlarged to accommodate the socio-cultural context wherein it is used to bring about positive
effects in students.