The Relationship Between Effort and Performance on a Low-Stakes Exam Across High School and College Freshmen

• In Event: 14.035 - Examining Factors and Characteristics That Influence Assessment Performance and Responses

Abstract

Low-stakes assessments are commonly used in educational institutions as measures of student learning. One issue facing the validity of these assessments is that of low-student motivation, as research has demonstrated a relationship between examinee effort and performance. The current study aimed to determine (a) if effort on a low-stakes exam is consistent across both high school and college freshmen, (b) if the relationship between effort and performance is consistent across high school and college freshmen, and (c) if effort on a low-stakes exam is dependent on the type of task students are presented with. Results indicate that high school students expended more effort than did college students, and that effort was higher for essay-based items than multiple-choice items.

Authors

• Zachary George Charles Kornhauser, Council for Aid to Education

• Jessalynn James, University of Virginia