Exploring Peer and Self-Assessments in Grading Group Projects for Urban Middle School Students

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Classroom Assessment Research and Practice

Abstract

While group projects are popular in middle schools classrooms, limited research has been conducted on how to grade them. Teachers usually assign a same score to all group members, which hardly reflects the achievement level of any student. This study explores the feasibility of utilizing self and peer assessments in grading group projects. The sample includes 45 sixth graders from a public middle school in Midwestern. Students completed a group project in their English class. Results show that self and peer ratings have limited values: peer rating shows acceptable reliability and validity but self-rating tend to be inflated. In addition, students like group projects. They prefer working with friends and others at their own levels.

Authors

• Bo Zhang, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

• Lucas Jackson, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee