Grading Classroom Participation
Reasons Why Students Stop Participating or Never Answer Questions
Oct 31, 2009
One of the most difficult issues faced by classroom teachers is whether or not class participation should affect individual student grades. Classroom participation can include asking and answering questions, taking a prominent role in discussions, and volunteering for tasks such as handing back homework. Yet a class participation grade is always subjective and may be the hardest to quantify in terms of grades.
When Students Stop Participating
Almost every class has a unique dynamic that sets it apart from other classes. Within this dynamic, there will always be students that raise their hands to answer questions. Usually, these are the same students. This is most prevalent in upper level classes.
It doesn’t take long, however, for those raised hands to slowly disappear. In many cases, this is due to peer pressure. Students that answer questions on a regular basis are often dubbed as the “teacher’s pet” or “nerds.” Peer pressure, often subtle, eventually results in less constructive classroom participation.
At the same time, there are students that fear answering questions. They may be introverts, content merely to listen but avoiding all opportunities to speak openly. Some students have a fear of public speaking. Other students may be afraid to give a wrong answer. In too many cases, students rapidly learn that if they answer a question correctly, they may face a follow-up question that they are not prepared to answer.
Students with learning differences or that have acute processing difficulties need more time to work through a question. By the time they formulate an answer, the class has already moved on. These students never achieve a level playing field in terms of class participation.
Different Approaches to Class Participation
Some teachers tie participation to daily attendance. Their reasoning is that if students are absent, for whatever reason, they cannot participate and lose daily points. Every student starts with an equal number of points. Participation leads to added points; non-participation does not affect the point balance. Absenteeism leads to a loss of points.
Other teachers use participation as a guideline. In the final grade analysis, these teachers will over-ride grades based on participation. Thus, if a student was highly participatory in the class and the final grade borders between a D and a C, the teacher will input a C as the final grade. Although subjective, students may realize that even a modicum of participation may help when all the scores are tallied.
Participation is a Learned Behavioral Trait
By the time high school students reach college, the intricacies of participation are thoroughly ingrained. Students coming out of advanced classes where participation is generally an integral part of the class are not shy or fearful raising their hands. These students sit in the front rows and never hesitate to make an impression on the professor.
In the 1973 movie The Paper Chase, first year law student Hart summarizes his evaluation of Professor Kingsfield’s difficult class in Contract Law. Those students that consistently raise their hands to answer the professor’s questions will get A’s. Those that answer questions infrequently will survive. All of the others are inconsequential. They will never be “noticed.”
Although his observations were true and, unfortunately, reflect the teaching mentalities of many classroom educators, this is not the way it has to be. Teachers must develop fair and measurable ways to grade classroom participation if it is to be used in determining the final grade.
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