How does the Prospect of Grading Influence Self Reported and Behaviour-Based Motivational Qualities? A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

The study investigates how school grades effect intrinsic and extrinsic motivational qualities in cooperative learning settings in 12th grade physic classes. 15 physic classes with a total of 293 students participated in the study. The classes were randomly assigned to the conditions prospect of grading or no prospect of grading. In the condition prospect of grading the students' performance in a final test contributed to the oral grade in the current term; in the condition with no prospect of grading the final test had no personal consequences for the students. Measures of learning performance, self reported motivation, and we of an online platform at home as a behaviour-based measure of motivation were collected. Learning performance was strongly affected by prospect of grading while there was no effect on self reported motivation. The students with prospect of grading used the online platform considerably more often for test preparation. After the test a comparable effect only tended to show on a compulsive homework (nor relevant for grading) and disappeared on an optional task. A path analysis revealed the effect of prospect of grading to be mediated by the more intensive individual learning with the online platform as wen as the improved self reported quality of communication in die learning group.