What Makes the Grade? Faculty and Student Perceptions

Abstract

This study extended the work of White and Dunlap (1999) by quantifying faculty views regarding the relative effects performance and effort should have on final grades and by comparing faculty views with student views to assess their similarity. Survey results of 159 students and 59 faculty indicated that students believed effort should influence grades significantly more than did faculty. Differences existed when measuring performance and effort as (a) a percentage of a final course grade and (b) letter grades assigned in different course types. In addition, faculty and students differed significantly in the number of hours they designated as defining superior effort. Discussion of results considers the potential impact discrepancies can have on faculty and student relations, student learning, and student evaluation of teaching.