ABSTRACT

This study examined differences in the criteria used by college and university instructors in the United States to assign course grades. Two hundred and fifty course syllabi (159 from universities and 91 from four-year colleges) developed by randomly selected instructors from five academic disciplines (education, maths, science, psychology, and English) were examined to determine the extent to which instructors employed different criteria in assigning course grades in introductory-level courses. Sources of variation in grade assignment included the use of product versus process criteria, the prevalence of using performance exams, and the framing criteria for grades. Differences between institution types and among academic disciplines were also investigated. Results revealed significant differences among the five academic disciplines in grading criteria and the use of examinations, with instructors in education and English relying more heavily on process criteria.. A significant interaction between institution type and academic discipline in grading criteria was also identified. Theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed along with avenues for further research.

摘要

这项研究检查了美国大学和大学讲师用来分配课程成绩的标准的差异。研究人员从五个学科（教育，数学，科学，心理学和英语）中随机选择的讲师开发了250门课程大纲（大学为159个课程，四年制学院为91个），以确定教员采用不同语言的程度入门级课程中分配课程成绩的标准。成绩分配的差异来源包括产品与流程标准的使用，使用绩效考试的普遍性以及成绩的框架标准。还研究了机构类型之间和学术学科之间的差异。结果表明，五个学科之间在评分标准和考试使用方面存在显着差异，教育和英语教师更加依赖过程标准。此外，机构类型和学科之间在评分标准方面也存在显着的相互作用。理论，实践和政策含义进行了讨论以及进一步研究的途径。