The promise of mastery-based testing for promoting student engagement, self-regulated learning, and performance in gateway STEM courses

Abstract

Decades of research show that tests, beyond assessing student knowledge, are powerful tools for promoting learning. However, high-stakes tests can also cause stress and disengagement. To utilize tests to encourage and motivate students, we implemented a mastery-based testing system in a large-enrollment general chemistry course (N = 234). This system allowed students to take three versions of each unit test, studying digital course resources in between to increase their mastery of the content. Students chose to take advantage of the mastery testing system when they struggled with unit tests, averaging six total repeated attempts. This level of repeated testing was associated with a 60 % increase in students' use of online study resources over the duration of the course, and a five-point overall increase in final exam scores (11 points for first-generation college students). Critically, student engagement with digital learning materials mediated these performance gains, suggesting that the benefits of mastery-based testing systems were not only due to students responding to the tests themselves. Instead, the findings suggest that mastery-based testing systems can enhance performance in introductory STEM courses by providing motivation and structure to support students’ self-regulated learning, helping them invest more time in effective, distributed study strategies.