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arXiv · 1601.02562

Grading Practices and Considerations of Graduate Students at the Beginning of their Teaching Assignment

Edit Yerushalmi·Emily Marshman·Alexandru Maries·Charles R. Henderson·Chandralekha Singh
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Abstract

Research shows that expert-like approaches to problem-solving can be promoted by encouraging students to explicate their thought processes and follow a prescribed problem-solving strategy. Since grading communicates instructors' expectations, teaching assistants' grading decisions play a crucial role in forming students' approaches to problem-solving in physics. We investigated the grading practices and considerations of 43 graduate teaching assistants (TAs). The TAs were asked to grade a set of specially designed student solutions and explain their grading decisions. We found that in a quiz context, a majority of TAs noticed but did not grade on solution features which promote expert-like approaches to problem-solving. In addition, TAs graded differently in quiz and homework contexts, partly because of how they considered time limitations in a quiz. Our findings can inform professional development programs for TAs.

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Edit Yerushalmi, Emily Marshman, Alexandru Maries, Charles R. Henderson, Chandralekha Singh. 2016-01-11. Grading Practices and Considerations of Graduate Students at the Beginning of their Teaching Assignment. https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2014.pr.068

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