Plus/minus grading and motivation: an empirical study of student choice and performance |
| |
Authors: | James E McClure |
| |
Institution: | Ball State University , USA |
| |
Abstract: | This paper considers whether student motivation might be impacted by the replacement of a straight (A, B, C, D, F) grading system with a plus/minus system (A, A?, B+ … D?, F). The data that are examined are from several undergraduate economics classes at a mid‐sized midwestern university in the United States. The data includes student characteristics, student performance and students’ choices of either a plus/minus or a straight grading system. In this admittedly small‐scale study students, who chose plus/minus grading, were not significantly more motivated than students who opted for straight grading. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|