POOR PERFORMERS ARE POOR PREDICTORS OF PERFORMANCE AND THEY KNOW IT: CAN THEY IMPROVE THEIR PREDICTION ACCURACY?

It has been demonstrated that low-performing students are often inaccurate (overconfident) when predicting their exam scores. However, these low performers are also less confident than high performers in their predictions, indicating they may be aware of their inaccuracy. The current study had two main objectives: 1) to replicate the findings of previous studies in that low-performers are unskilled but aware and 2) to determine if low-performers in the classroom can improve their prediction accuracy (calibration) when instructions and feedback are provided. Undergraduate students enrolled in two sections of an educational psychology course were administered 4 exams during a semester. Participants were required to predict their exam scores and provide a rating of their confidence in that prediction. After each exam, participants received feedback about their exam scores, prediction of their exam scores, and confidence level. Our findings replicated the unskilled, but aware findings and demonstrated that low-performers improved their prediction accuracy during the semester. The results demonstrated that after the practice with the four exams, calibration improved. Even the lowest performing students improving their prediction accuracy.