Tripp Brie, Ravi Akshaya, Pang Ethan, Furrow Robert E
Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616.
Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2025 Mar 1;24(1):ar4. doi: 10.1187/cbe.24-06-0167.
Grades are a staple of education and a gateway to future career opportunities. Yet, grading practices can (re)produce inequities and cause students to feel inadequate and unmotivated. Alternative grading practices may address these problems, but these strategies are often time intensive and impractical in larger classroom settings. In this study, we explore an easy-to-implement grading practice, in-class quiz retakes, to conceptualize how grades motivate learning and impact well-being for undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through the lens of self-determination theory, we conducted semistructured interviews with undergraduates who experienced quiz retakes in two STEM courses. Our results revealed that retakes largely improved students' perceptions of their competence in the subject matter, autonomy in grade outcomes, feelings of relatedness to the instructors, and overall motivation to learn. The majority of students also expressed how traditional grading practices negatively impacted their motivation and well-being. In addition, a quantitative analysis revealed that quiz retakes particularly benefitted students who scored lower on their initial quizzes. We aspire for this study to prompt educators to reconsider traditional grading practices by opting for more equitable and just alternative grading approaches that motivate student learning and mitigate systemic barriers in education.
成绩是教育的重要组成部分，也是通往未来职业机会的途径。然而，评分方式可能会（再）制造不公平，并导致学生感到自己能力不足且缺乏动力。替代性的评分方式或许可以解决这些问题，但这些策略往往耗费时间，在规模较大的课堂环境中并不实用。在本研究中，我们探讨一种易于实施的评分方式——课堂测验重考，以理解成绩如何激励学习并影响理工科（STEM）本科学生的幸福感。通过自我决定理论的视角，我们对在两门理工科课程中经历过测验重考的本科生进行了半结构化访谈。我们的结果显示，重考在很大程度上提升了学生对自身学科能力的认知、在成绩结果方面的自主性、与教师的关联感以及整体的学习动力。大多数学生还表达了传统评分方式如何对他们的动力和幸福感产生负面影响。此外，一项定量分析表明，测验重考对在初次测验中得分较低的学生尤其有益。我们希望这项研究能促使教育工作者重新审视传统评分方式，选择更公平公正的替代性评分方法，以激励学生学习并减少教育中的系统性障碍。
