Examines how teachers' pedagogical practices shape them as educators and alter their belief systems about students. A teacher describes her own pedagogy, noting how she made her practices consonant with her beliefs and discussing the changes in her attitudes when she changed her course from pass-fail to letter grading. (SM)

Reports a study to test the hypothesis that intermediate grade teachers (n=96) will reflect an expectation of male success in the scores they assign to students' work in mathematical problem solving. MANOVA involving the variables of student gender, teacher grade level, and teacher gender indicated no gender bias on the part of teachers. (MDH)

Relates a teaching strategy whereby introductory sociology students wrote and analyzed their own stories to create a self-published book. Describes course goals as becoming familiar with sociological perspectives, concepts, strategies, and methods and to develop reading, analytical thinking, and writing skills. Includes discussion of the course…

A study at the University of Yaounde (Cameroon) compared male and female student evaluations (n=1,064) of teaching on a range of variables. Variables which maximally distinguished males from females were fairness in grading, overall judgment of the course, organization of individual class sessions, and overall course organization. (Author/MSE)

Study investigated accountability task structures related to high school physical educators' systematic evaluation, formal assessment, and objective grading procedures. Research found inconsistencies between what teachers reported in writing and the content of student assessment and what they emphasized to students and actually assessed. Many…

Suggests the "create-a-game" examination technique as a supplemental or alternative evaluation method for a history of psychology course. Describes a take home test in which students design and construct games that incorporate a range of knowledge from the course material. Recommends playing the games in class as a course review. (DK)

Examines grading systems in undergraduate education at a large university, using data from a 12-month ethnographic study. Identifies how grades determine student movement from college to other organizations. Questions relationships of grading systems to students' perceptions of their own knowledge and grading's role in educational outcomes. Finds…

A quiz is presented that may call the attention of school personnel to regression effects in educational measurement, and clarify the meaning of statistical regression for educators in schools. Ten questions and their answers explore regression in the contexts of classroom testing, grading, and performance assessment. (SLD)

Discussion of asynchronous communication in online learning environments focuses on a collaborative, constructivist discussion that considered what constitutes acceptable participation in an online doctoral forum. Presents selections from a class discussion and concludes that students see the value of counting contributions even though they object…

Outlines an approach for post-secondary educators to improve the quality of electronic discussion groups. Using a template of macros constructed in Microsoft Word, the authors explain a system of coding called cognotes and discuss an evaluation method where higher order critical thinking skills are given greater value toward higher grades.…

An approach to public-management instruction based on the classroom use of work groups or teams is described. Conditions conducive to high performance teamwork, a model team-learning instructional activity sequence, team selection and group dynamics, the reward or grading system, use of mini-tests, application-oriented activities, and peer…

A national survey of elementary and secondary general education teachers (n=368, response rate of 52%) examined classroom grading practices, including grading adaptations for students with disabilities. Results indicated that teachers found certain adaptations (pass-fail grades, portfolios, multiple grades, and grading for effort) useful for…

One college teacher's approach to writing instruction focuses on grading to encourage learning, using a marking system that clarifies distinctions between content and mechanics, and removes the punitive aspect of grading. The system is rewarding and motivational for both students and teacher. In addition, the course includes individual…

Presents techniques that in the author's experience have helped middle-school students produce better, more original work. Alternative formats to the traditional report project, clear assignment criteria, a grading rubric, and instruction in visual communication are all valuable. A model with which teachers can reduce plagiarism and promote…

In this article, the author discusses the purpose of grades from a perspective based on the fundamental educational psychology assessment principle of validity--the validity of what learning is being assessed and the validity of the communication of that assessment to others. He believes most teachers fail to give grades to students that are as…