Expectancy Theory and Contract Grading Combined as an Effective Motivational Force for College Students

The theory of expectancy which provides a clear path to a desired goal was applied through the delivery system of contract grading in order to determine if business student motivation and effort could be increased. Experiments were conducted during the 1974-75 school year using nine classes of college students with 280 total participants. Seven classes experienced contract grading and two experienced traditional grading methods. Results showed that student effort increased significantly using the contract grading method.