Grades and Motivation and their Correlation
What impact do grades have on motivation? What impact does motivation have on grades? In last week’s blog post, we discussed the correlation between grades and self-esteem. How grades can become an integral part of a student’s self-esteem for good or bad (but it more for bad than good). Let’s see if we can find a reason to keep grades at their important place in education. Maybe grades help with motivation in school. Let’s take a look at the correlation.
Do grades motivate students? Most teachers think they do. Whenever teachers give out a “less-than-stellar” grade, the hope is that the student will learn from the errors and do better next time. Teachers, would you disagree? I know that’s what I’ve hoped whenever I give out a poor value rating. Otherwise, what’s the point of potentially injuring student self-esteem? If a poor value rating isn’t helping them to do better next time, then is there really a reason to give these low value ratings?
And yet, many teachers see time and time again that students tend to get the same grades they always get with little fluctuation. Barring a life-changing event, like moving to live with a different parent or getting new friends, students will continue to get the grades they always have. Teachers like us really don’t change much when we use our value rating systems.
In my experience, the only time I see grades motivating students is when a student that usually has high grades gets a lower-than-normal for them grade. Then this student’s anxiety kicks into high alert mode and they do whatever they can to raise their grade so they can maintain the identity of being a high-achieving student. This anxiety will often lead to academic dishonesty as the student attempts to reestablish their lost identity. Yet, even then, these students tend to be focused more on the letter they receive rather than the actual learning.
But We Can’t Change the System, Right?
The system is the system, right? It is an unmovable rock that will also be as it is, right? To some extent, without a massive overhaul of the education system, that is correct. However, we are teachers, we do have a certain level of authority in our own classes. Do we have to keep our students subservient to the brutal grading system? Or is it possible to break them out of this reality? What would that even look like? Could it be possible to focus on learning rather than grades in the classroom? To provide opportunities for growth instead of criticism?
Teachers are the Heroes that Students Need
As teachers, we often have much more power than we realize. I also believe that we can use our power in the classroom to be the guides that students’ need instead of their biggest critics. For me, I want my students to be involved in their own education and feel empowered to pursue learning on a pace that makes sense to them. I believe that we can use our power for good and become the guides that students need in the classroom.
In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be outlining my Mastery Gamification Methodology and how it decreases the importance of grades, increases the importance of learning, but still works within the school system that we currently have. You can be the hero that your students need. If you want to learn more about the Mastery Gamification Methodology and see if it’s right for you, sign up below to receive my free quiz. The quiz will tell you if you have the skills & background that helps teachers be successful with this methodology. If you’d like to connect with me, send me a message on my facebook page. I can’t wait to hear from you!
