How will I be graded? The past, present, and future of research on grading policies and student motivation in secondary and postsecondary education

Classroom-level grading policies are crucial in shaping students’ academic motivation, yet educational psychologists for the most part have not studied their direct impact. Instead, most existing work has been conducted primarily by researchers from other disciplines due to these policies’ practical relevance for instruction. In the present paper, we review the literature on grading policies and student motivation and propose a framework for future studies in this area. First, we conducted a systematic review of empirical, quantitative studies spanning the last five decades, focusing on the influence of course grade policies on motivation in U.S. high school and postsecondary education. Our search revealed 34 studies that examined how grading policies affect students’ motivation. However, we identified significant theoretical and methodological shortcomings in this literature, including how motivation was conceptualized and how studies were designed. In response, we discuss how social-cognitive theories of motivation could help examine grading policies’ impacts on student motivation. Finally, we propose a framework for educational psychologists to evaluate these important questions, grounded in these theories. Our aim is to stimulate high-quality research on the implications of specific grading policies that will provide a solid evidence base for teachers and instructors and ultimately enhance students’ academic outcomes.