This paper reports on a revision of the assessment model from the first mathematics course for pre-service teachers (PSTs) aiming for grades 5-10, at a Norwegian university. The weight of the final written exam was reduced and a new, mastery-based testing model, with weekly small tests, was introduced. Results from this study show that the PSTs…

Self-efficacy, the beliefs learners hold about what they can do, develops largely from whether learners perceive and interpret their experiences as successful (i.e., perceived mastery). In mathematics, the relationship between perceived mastery and self-efficacy has been well established. Less is known about the factors that may influence…

An increasing number of university faculty have become interested in alternative grading systems in recent years. While there is a growing body of research on such grading systems, implementation can be a challenge for instructors. Mastery-based testing is a grading system in which students learn from feedback and have multiple attempts to…

The authors present the results of quantitative data and student feedback from a two-year study of the effects of a new assessment model called "mastery-based testing." In mastery-based testing, students are given problems in which they can only receive full credit for the problem after they demonstrate mastery of the objective being…

Competency-based learning (CBL) is a grading strategy that emphasizes the mastery of content. At Middle Technical College (MTC), success rates in the college algebra class have decreased. This study will answer two questions: how will a CBL approach to learning affect student perceptions of their success and what are student perceptions of after…

Gateway testing is an important pedagogic tool employed by many university mathematics departments in calculus and precalculus courses. With a goal of ensuring that students attain needed basic skills in courses with a conceptual "reform" orientation, these tests provide an efficient means of assessing a large volume of student work,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate implementation of an early intervention mastery activity during the first two weeks of college algebra and precalculus courses at a large U.S. public university. Statistical modeling of (N = 935) students' performance in the courses, including a logistic regression model of pass/fail course achievement…

Although students' motivational frameworks (entity vs. incremental) have been linked to academic achievement, little is known about how early this link emerges and how motivational frameworks develop in the first place. In a year-long study (student N = 424, Teacher N = 58), we found that, as early as 1st and 2nd grade, children who endorsed an…

This paper describes a multistep Enhanced Formative Assessment Program (EFAP) that features a Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) component. The program, which teaches students to become more effective learners, has been applied in a wide range of academic disciplines. In this paper we report on how the EFAP-SRL model can be applied to the area of…