Students’ Perceptions of Specifications Grading: Development and Evaluation of the Perceptions of Grading Schemes (PGS) Instrument

Abstract

Instructional reforms of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in higher education have primarily focused on instructors’ teaching practices. While this area has been well explored, other areas of instructional reform lag. One such broad area is assessment and evaluation, which includes grading schemes. In recent years, alternative grading schemes and movements have increased in popularity. Within chemistry, specifications grading is favored. Specifications grading has been proposed as an alternative grading scheme to address the reported flaws of the traditional, 100-point or A–F grading system. Advocates for specifications grading expect increases in students’ motivation to learn, grading transparency, and reductions in stress. However, empirical investigations testing these hypothesized outcomes are rare. To empirically test the hypothesized outcomes of specifications grading, we developed the Perceptions of Grading Schemes (PGS) instrument, which explores students’ perceptions of the implementation of specifications grading as compared to a traditional grading scheme experienced in other STEM courses. We analyze the psychometric properties of the PGS instrument data from students enrolled in a specifications-graded, year-long general chemistry laboratory course. Analyses demonstrate good data-model fit through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and high reliability of the instrument subscales, indicating that the instrument functions well with students in specifications-graded courses. Data suggest that implementations of specifications grading may not be achieving all of the hypothesized student outcomes.