Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Assessing Writing. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Assessing Writing, 48, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.asw.2020.100508
Accepted author manuscript, 352 KB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY-NC-ND
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - An integrated mixed-methods study of contract grading's impact on adolescents' perceptions of stress in high school English
T2 - a pilot study
AU - Ward, E.
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Assessing Writing. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Assessing Writing, 48, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.asw.2020.100508
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - This study analyzed the impact of contract grading on adolescents’ perceptions of stress amid Good Shepherd High School's annual research paper unit. While college instructors have employed contract grading since the 1970s, the alternative assessment approach appears underused and under-analyzed in contemporary high school classrooms. In spring 2019, participants (n = 53) enrolled in one of seven senior-level English courses with identical prompts and teaching materials. While three maintained a traditional grading rubric, four sections were evaluated with mastery-based grading contracts for A or B. The qualitative and quantitative datasets revealed that the Contract Grading Group was significantly more likely to perceive the workload and time constraints as less demanding. Additionally, despite a history of low grades, the majority (84%) fulfilled the contract's requirements, and the Contract Grading Group earned six times as many As and 2.5 times as many Bs as those in the Traditional Grading Group. Within this context, the grading contract reduced the stress of workload demands while significantly improving grades for students with prior experience with each requirement on the contract.
AB - This study analyzed the impact of contract grading on adolescents’ perceptions of stress amid Good Shepherd High School's annual research paper unit. While college instructors have employed contract grading since the 1970s, the alternative assessment approach appears underused and under-analyzed in contemporary high school classrooms. In spring 2019, participants (n = 53) enrolled in one of seven senior-level English courses with identical prompts and teaching materials. While three maintained a traditional grading rubric, four sections were evaluated with mastery-based grading contracts for A or B. The qualitative and quantitative datasets revealed that the Contract Grading Group was significantly more likely to perceive the workload and time constraints as less demanding. Additionally, despite a history of low grades, the majority (84%) fulfilled the contract's requirements, and the Contract Grading Group earned six times as many As and 2.5 times as many Bs as those in the Traditional Grading Group. Within this context, the grading contract reduced the stress of workload demands while significantly improving grades for students with prior experience with each requirement on the contract.
KW - Academic performance
KW - Academic stress
KW - Adolescents
KW - Contract grading
KW - High school
KW - Writing assessment
U2 - 10.1016/j.asw.2020.100508
DO - 10.1016/j.asw.2020.100508
M3 - Journal article
VL - 48
JO - Assessing Writing
JF - Assessing Writing
SN - 1075-2935
M1 - 100508
ER -