TL;DR:

• Change is hard.
• Assignment completion is a concern for some if there are no grades.
• Numerous factors affect student motivation.
• Not all students are motivated by grades.
• The carrot-and-stick motivational technique worked for the industrial revolution.

Previously, I had discussed my reasons for breaking free from grades. While there are many benefits to going gradeless, there are also some objections that educators and stakeholders may have. Let’s keep one thing in mind before we get in too deep. Change is hard. Whenever a change is suggested or planned, there will be people that tell you why it cannot be done. Even if the benefits outweigh the risks, there will be pushback. We must listen to the concerns. However, we should also be inspired by the possibilities. Nothing is guaranteed.

Concerns About Going Gradeless

The objections to “upgrading” include a need for more accountability. Some people may worry that without grades, educators cannot hold students accountable for their learning. Students may not exert the necessary effort to succeed. They say it is difficult to measure progress. With grades, measuring student progress and determining if they meet learning goals and standards can be more accessible. Some worry that not receiving grades may disadvantage students regarding college admissions or job opportunities. Parents might say grades allow them to monitor their child’s progress. They might resist a gradeless system. There may also be institutional requirements about grades. Some schools and districts, like my own, may have policies and requirements around grading. They make it challenging to implement a gradeless system.

The activities teachers provide students and the cognitive skills we ask of them have changed considerably. The educational measuring tools and our motivation tactics are still lagging behind. Click To Tweet

Addressing these objections and concerns is essential when considering a gradeless approach. In the next few blog posts, we will discuss some of these objections for not going gradeless. This post directly addresses a concern I often hear:

“If I Don’t Grade It, They Won’t Do It.”

I understand this concern. Completing work and putting forth effort in and out of class are critical to student success. We, as teachers, are constantly looking for ways to motivate our students to engage in productive struggle. We want them to make the effort.

Let’s focus on homework that is graded for completion. There is a tremendous amount of research on homework and student motivation. The concepts and ideas could also be projected onto other types of student work. The necessity of homework has become a debatable topic in recent years. What are the benefits of homework? Why would we want our students to complete it? 

Benefits of Student Efforts

Homework can reinforce learning, develop study skills, and prepare students for academic success. However, many students struggle with completing their homework. Lack of motivation is often cited as the reason. This is why some object to going gradeless. Why would we remove grades when it seems, on the surface, to be the motivation for completing homework? Is the fear of a lower grade the sole reason students complete tasks? 

A Lack of Motivation?

Let’s dig deeper. Why do students lack the motivation to complete homework? Some students are motivated to do homework because it can impact their grades. Completing homework assignments on time and satisfactorily can positively affect their course grades. In many educational settings, homework is assigned and graded.  Some students’ final grades are based on their homework performance. Therefore, for some students, the fear of poor grades can motivate them to complete their homework assignments. However, the fear of a bad grade is not a universally motivating factor.

Factors Affecting Motivation

Content

Various factors may decrease motivation such as boredom with the subject matter. There could be a disconnect between the homework and the student’s interests. Or perhaps they perceive that the assignment is too difficult or easy.

Difficulty understanding the material is another reason students may not complete their homework. Students who do not understand the material may become frustrated and give up on the assignment.

Time

Time management issues also significantly contribute to students not completing their homework. Some students may need help managing their time effectively. Students have competing demands such as extracurricular activities, jobs, or family responsibilities.

Home Life

Disruptive home environments can also impact a student’s ability to complete homework. If students do not have a quiet, supportive environment at home, they may find it challenging to focus and complete their tasks.

Personal issues such as family problems, mental health issues, or other personal crises can also impact a student’s ability to complete homework. Identifying and addressing why students may need more time to complete their homework is essential for academic success.

Are All Kids Motivated by Grades?

No, grades do not motivate all kids. The prospect of earning good grades may encourage some students. Others may not prioritize their grades or have different concerns. For example, some students may be motivated by learning and understanding the material. In contrast, personal interests or extrinsic rewards, such as recognition or praise from teachers or peers, may motivate others.

We must recognize that other things inspire different students and find ways to tap into each student’s motivations. This may involve using various teaching strategies and techniques, such as hands-on activities, group projects, or personalized learning plans to help engage and motivate students. Additionally, providing feedback and recognition beyond grades, such as acknowledging a student’s effort and providing ways to further progress, can be an effective way to motivate students who may not be as motivated by grades alone.

Motivation for the Assembly Line

In Daniel Pink’s groundbreaking book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, he discusses the factory model system that most jobs followed during the Industrial Revolution.

We are not in the Industrial Revolution anymore. Our society and economy favor innovative and creative thinkers. Most careers now require the four C’s: Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Collaboration. The carrot-and-stick model of motivation worked well for independent, mechanical, and physical labor. If you do this, then you get this. It’s a transaction.

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The Carrot-and-Stick of Education

Perhaps you have heard this before. Our American Education system was built during the Industrial Revolution. Students sit in rows. The teacher talks, and the students listen. They write it down and repeat it on a test. Information was provided from one source. The faculty expects the students to return the information in the exact same format as given and discourages deviation from the norm. Teachers used grades as the carrot dangling from a stick in front of the students. It worked well for the time. It encouraged quick one-word responses. Vocabulary, lists, dates, and other quick-hitter responses excelled using this motivational tactic.

Times Have Changed.

While career demands have morphed to meet the needs of our changing society, schools have been slow to change. The activities teachers provide students and the cognitive skills we ask of them have changed considerably. The educational measuring tools and our motivation tactics are still lagging behind. The assessments include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, and other “one-size fits all” measurements.

Let’s face it, change is hard.

Grades Are

How a student earns a grade is complex, and it has become convoluted in many ways. Different weighting metrics in our automated learning management systems have played a big part. Try putting different weightings into your grading systems, and see how much it changes their grades. Change your tests to count for 50% instead of 40%, for example. Or what happens if you figure in bonus points? What about taking off on late assignments? What if you give a 0/100 for a missing assignment? Teachers ask students to figure out multiple rules for grades every day. The rules are not consistent. One student taking eight classes might have eight rule sets to remember. That’s just for one grading period.  Carrot-and-stick motivational tactics are detrimental to complex tasks. Learning our grading rules is a complex task.

So, how do we motivate kids without grades?

In the next post, we will discuss ways to motivate students to complete assignments that require cognitive skills without using grades.

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About Mike Szczepanik

Mike has been teaching Biology at Hilton High School since March 1996. During, the majority of those years teaching, he has taught AP Biology and Living Environment (NY’s at grade level biology). He is also his district’s 7-12 Science Program Coordinator.

Mike is a Teach Better Ambassador, in the Master Teacher Program and the Cornell Institute of Biology Teachers and has presented at numerous conferences and events including NSTA, NABT, STANYS, NYSCATE, and Master Teacher Program state conferences. He frequently attends Edcamps and helped start CoffeeEDU Rochester. In 2019, Mike was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award for New York State by the National Association of Biology Teachers. Mike believes technology can augment and enhance learning, but it is not a replacement for an in-person hands-on classroom experience.

Likewise, students learn best when exposed to phenomena and discrepant events which force the learner to wrestle with the observed and the expected. Mike seeks to motivate learners not through grades but instead by creating an environment that gives the students autonomy, opportunities to show mastery, and collaborative purpose. To that end, he does not give grades to students but relies on self-assessment, peer assessment, and a lot of teacher feedback.