Will I do as well on the final exam as I expect? An examination of students ’ expectations

Abstract: Immediately prior to an exam, it is common to hear students commenting on whether they anticipate doing as well on the exam as they expect (or, in other words, whether they anticipate performing as well on the exam as the standard at which they believe they should be performing). These anticipations have received little past research attention. In this study, students ’ performance anticipations are related to their past exam performances in the course, their performance expectations, several issues hypothesized to affect academic performance, and their actual performance on the final exam and for the course. The results, which were mixed, are discussed