The Effect of Student Achievement and Certification Area on Teacher Candidates' Grading Beliefs

• In Event: Assessment in the Higher Education Context

Abstract

We studied beliefs about unorthodox grading practices among teacher candidates (n = 288) in relationship to certification area (childhood, adolescent, or special education generalist) and experimentally-manipulated student achievement level (low, average, high). Lenient grading on a case-by-case or post hoc basis had the lowest endorsement overall. Grading to reflect conduct was endorsed by nearly one in five candidates. We found main effects for certification area related to consideration of effort in grading and dropping low scores regardless of content coverage. We found a significant interaction for grading to reflect conduct. Our results can guide educators in classroom assessment to target instruction, and help focus research on grading practices with potentially high impacts on student motivation or academic trajectories.

Authors

• Sarah M. Bonner, Hunter College - CUNY

• Peggy P. Chen, Hunter College - CUNY