Browsing by Author "Browning, Sean Michael"

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Open Access
Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions of Grading Practices Based on Teacher Years of Service and the Implications for Leading Change
(2024-08) Browning, Sean Michael
In this quantitative study, the perceptions of grading practices, outcomes, and openness to change were compared between two groups: novice teachers (those with less than 6 years of experience) and experienced teachers (those with 6 or more years of experience). Using the Teachers’ Perceptions of Grading Practice Scale and the Openness to Organization Change Scale, data were collected from 70 middle school teachers and 87 high school teachers from Lakeshore Unified School District (LUSD; a pseudonym) in Southern California. The survey used a 5-point Likert scale to examine teachers’ perceptions of grading and openness to change in seven domains including (a) importance, (b) usefulness, (c) student effort, (d) student ability, (e) teachers’ grading habits, (f) perceived self-efficacy of grading, and (g) openness to change. Overall, the study revealed significant differences in the perceived role of grades as a reflection of importance between novice teachers and experienced teachers. There were no significant differences in teachers’ perceptions of usefulness of grading, the role of grades as a reflection of student effort, the role of grades as a reflection of student ability, teachers’ grading habits, and openness to change between novice and experienced teachers. There was one moderately significant difference in the perceived role of grades as a reflection of self-efficacy of grading. Analysis of the individual survey items revealed several statistically significant differences within the domain areas. The findings of this study serve as valuable information for educational leaders considering the implementation of alternative grading practices in their school district.