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Beyond Grades: Helping Students Discover How They Learn and Helping Teachers See Who They Are

For many students, especially those with invisible learning challenges such as ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, autism, or executive functioning difficulties, these questions are critical. Too often, students are viewed through the lens of what they struggle with rather than what they can do.
A student who avoids completing assignments may not lack motivation. They may lack strategies that match how they learn best. A student who appears disengaged may not lack interest. They may not yet feel connected, capable, or understood. A student who needs support may not lack ability. They may simply need educators to better understand their strengths, needs, interests, and learning preferences.

Research consistently shows that students are more successful when they experience three fundamental psychological needs identified in Self-Determination Theory: autonomy (having choice and control), competence (feeling capable), and relatedness (feeling connected to others) (Ryan & Deci, 2020). When students feel known, valued, and capable, they are more likely to engage in learning and develop the skills needed to become independent learners.

But how can teachers understand every student’s unique learning profile in classrooms with 25, 30, or more students?
This question became the foundation for developing and testing a new student-centred assessment approach designed to help students understand themselves as learners while helping teachers gain meaningful insights quickly.

From Assessment to Understanding

Traditional assessments often focus on identifying what students know or do not know academically. While this information is valuable, it only tells part of the story. A complete understanding of a learner requires looking beyond academic performance.
The research behind this project explored a different approach: a holistic assessment designed to help students identify:

• Their learning strengths and challenges
• Their academic and cognitive skills
• Their interests and talents
• Their learning preferences
• Their motivational patterns
• Strategies that may support their success

Rather than simply measuring students, the goal was to involve students in discovering themselves as learners. This approach aligns with research on self-regulated learning, which emphasizes that successful learners understand how they learn, set goals, monitor their progress, and adjust strategies when needed (Zimmerman, 2002).

The first testing cycle examined two important questions:
Would students find the assessment meaningful and engaging?
Could the results provide teachers with useful information to better support student learning and motivation?

The assessment was tested with students and teachers in Grades 6–9 in three provinces across Canada. Many of the students had identified learning challenges or received special education support.  The findings for this first cycle provided valuable insights into what worked, what needed refinement, and what opportunities existed to better support diverse learners.

Students Want to Understand Themselves as Learners

One of the most powerful findings was that students valued the opportunity to learn more about themselves.
When students were asked what they enjoyed most about the experience, many responses focused on self-discovery:

“I enjoyed how I got to know myself a little bit more.”
“Learning more about myself and what helps me learn.”
“Getting to know me better.”

These responses highlight an important connection to metacognition—the ability to understand and think about one’s own learning. Research shows that metacognitive skills are strongly connected to student achievement because students who understand how they learn are better able to choose strategies, solve problems, and become more independent learners. 

The assessment was not simply designed to tell students their results. It was designed to help them answer a deeper question:
“What do I need to be successful?”

The Importance of Starting with Success

One important discovery from the first testing cycle involved student confidence.
Many students with learning challenges have experienced years of academic difficulty. Over time, repeated struggles can influence how students view their own abilities. Research has shown that students who experience repeated academic failure may develop lower self-efficacy—the belief that they are capable of succeeding (Rhew et al., 2018).

The first cycle of the testing began with some academic questions at students’ current grade level. However, researchers discovered that some students immediately encountered challenges before experiencing success.

This was an important lesson. For students to develop confidence, they need opportunities to experience competence.
This finding reflects the work of educational theorists such as John Dewey and Carl Rogers, (Dewey, 1938; Rogers, 1980), who emphasized the importance of beginning learning at the student’s readiness level rather than expecting all students to begin at the same place.
Based on student feedback, refinements were made so that the next testing cycle of the assessment would allow students to experience greater early success before gradually increasing the level of challenge.

The goal was not to make learning easier. The goal was to help students build confidence while accurately identifying their learning needs.

Students Responded Positively to Personalized Learning Plans

After completing the assessment, students received a personalized learning plan outlining their strengths, challenges, learning preferences, and recommended strategies.

The results were encouraging.

• 76% of students reported that their learning plan matched who they were as learners very well or extremely well.
• 59% of students identified four or more recommended strategies that they believed could support their learning.

Students were not simply receiving information about themselves—they were beginning to recognize strategies they could use.
This aligns with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which emphasizes providing students with multiple ways to engage, learn, and demonstrate understanding (CAST, 2024). UDL recognizes that learner variability is the norm, not the exception.

Rather than asking:
“Why can’t this student learn this way?”

UDL encourages educators to ask:
“How can we design learning environments that allow more students to succeed?”

Stay tuned next week to learn more about the 1st Testing Cycle, including:

• How gamification influenced student motivation
• Why external rewards are complicated
• How teachers used the information to build stronger relationships
• How the assessment could save teachers significant time
• The broader implications for inclusive education

Click HERE to read the full dissertation study: A Student-Directed Holistic Assessment Approach to Help Teachers Support the Diverse Needs of Students and Develop Self-Regulated Learners in Inclusive Educational Settings 

References
CAST (2024). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 3.0. http://udlguidelines.cast.org 

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Kappa Delta Pi. New York, N.Y.

Montgomery, D. (2026). A student-directed holistic assessment approach to help teachers support the diverse needs of students and develop self-regulated learners in inclusive educational settings [Doctoral thesis]. University of Prince Edward Island. https://islandscholar.ca/sites/default/files/2026-05/montgomerydianne_dissertation_2026_redacted.pdf 

Rhew, E., Piro, J. S., Goolkasian, P., & Cosentino, P. (2018). The effects of a growth mindset on self-efficacy and motivation. Cogent Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2018.1492337
Rogers, C.R. (1980). A way of being. Houghton Mifflin.
Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 61(2020).
Zimmerman, B. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner. Theory into Practice, Volume 41, Number 2.