Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.59549/n.164.3-4.2
Teachers’ opinion about grading in primary school
Tomislava Vidić
orcid.org/0000-0003-2040-2667
; Faculty of Teacher Education University of Zagreb
Dubravka Miljković
orcid.org/0000-0002-1616-0792
; Faculty of Teacher Education University of Zagreb
Supplements: 02 Abstract vidic.pdf
Abstract
According to the information from the Ministry of Science and Education, as
many as 58.59% of primary school students have finished the 2021-2022
school year with an excellent (A) grade point average, while 24.27% of them
achieved a 5.0 grade point average. Considering the fact that A (excellent) is
the highest grade in Croatian schools, is it justified to conclude that new generations
are much more successful and smarter than the previous ones, or
is the inflation of A students a consequence of the inefficient grading system
and various pressures teachers are under in the course of their work?
This research was carried out via a questionnaire among 558 primary school
teachers from the Republic of Croatia. The questionnaire comprised 22 claims
that examined teachers’ perceptions of the changes in the grading system,
atmosphere, experienced pressures, and their own education on grading.
The results indicate that teachers perceive the changes in grading modes and
criteria, believe that today’s students can acquire excellent grades with little
effort, and generally feel the pressure of the environment related to grading.
Most of the surveyed teachers feel that, in the case of a parent’s complaint
about their child’s poor grade, the responsible institutions take the side of the
parent. Along the same lines, they believe that teachers who mostly award
their students with high grades have fewer problems at work. The results
have shown a low level of teachers’ satisfaction with the implemented education
on grading. No statistically significant differences between the teachers
were found in regard to their workplace or the length of work experience. The
majority of the surveyed teachers consider that the introduction of external
evaluation would contribute to more objective grading of students’ knowledge
and skills.
Keywords
grade inflation; grading; primary school; teachers
Hrčak ID:
311262
URI
Publication date:
13.12.2023.
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