CAN DIFFERENTIATED ASSESSMENT TEACH NON-PHILOLOGICAL STUDENTS TO MANAGE THEIR OWN LEARNING?

Abstract

This study investigates whether differentiated formative assessment — feedback calibrated to a student’s actual proficiency level rather than a single fixed standard — helps non-philology students develop stronger self-regulated learning behaviour over the course of a semester. Self-regulation was measured through a validated questionnaire and coded learning logs, with semi-structured interviews used to explore the mechanism behind any observed change. The study hypothesizes that the effect of differentiated assessment will be strongest among initially lower-proficiency students, for whom generic feedback tends to be least informative. If confirmed, the findings would reposition differentiated assessment as a tool not merely for managing classroom heterogeneity, but for building durable, autonomous learning habits in students who have limited further opportunity for structured language instruction.