The relationship between task value, self-efficacy and student performance in performance assessment

Performance assessment is currently used as an alternative to traditional assessment. Most researchers studying performance assessment have focused on technical qualities, and performance standards have been found to contribute to its validity and reliability. These descriptive performance standards are preset levels for measuring student accomplishments. Since educators have suggested that students should become reflective toward their own learning and progress, it is important to understand in more detail how students themselves perceive performance standards and how their perceptions relate to performance. Only a few researchers have surveyed students' general perceptions, and their findings have revealed that many students do not have a clear understanding of the evaluation criteria. The purpose of this study was to examine how certain motivational characteristics, including task value and self-efficacy, relate to performance. These motivational characteristics were selected because they were reported to be powerful predictors of achievement.; The first pilot study (N = 20) tested the modified motivation questionnaire and the oral performance assessment. The participants reported their motivation specifically for each performance standard, and the application of the assessment addressed important issues for the main study. The second pilot study (N = 31) checked nine items in which students revealed their motivation on performance standards in general.; In the main study, 40 university students participated in reporting their motivation by questionnaire and were evaluated by oral performance assessment. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire were excellent. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that a relationship existed between students' performance and their motivation on performance standards. Positive correlation relationships were found between task value and performance and between self-efficacy and performance. Results indicated that students who felt performance standards were more useful and interesting were observed to perform better in the performance assessment. In terms of self-efficacy, students with a greater understanding of performance standards performed better in the performance assessment.