Ungrading in Teacher Education: A Pedagogical Tool to Promote Equity, Justice, and Deeper Learning

• In Event: Justice-Oriented Practices and Racial Justice in Teacher Education

Abstract

This study focuses on ungrading, a key feature of the Teaching for Equity Project, a competency-based alternative assessment aimed at determining readiness to teach. We describe the ways in which adopting an ungrading approach, the goal of which is to eliminate letter grades and to prioritize feedback, self- and peer-assessment, and reflection (Blum, 2020), both facilitated teacher candidates’ (TCs) learning and led to substantive changes across the program. Analysis of the data indicates that ungrading helped TCs’ better understand their own learning, feel a sense of agency, and develop valuable tools for on-going learning. This study aims to provide specific examples from TCs’ experiences and from course syllabi and assessment tools for educators interested in adopting transformative assessment practices.

Authors

• Carol M. Adams, Seattle University

• Ana M. Rivero Arias, Seattle University