An Analysis of Student Grade Expectations and Marker Consistency

This study sets out to assess the extent to which final‐year students following a four year degree in education have a realistic sense of the strengths and weaknesses of an independent research study they are required to undertake. An analysis of the self‐assessment grades and those of their tutors reveals a poor match, whilst the criteria students use to assess their studies emphasise lower order criteria such as style and presentation, and largely ignore higher order criteria concerned with theoretical and conceptual understanding and the quality of discussion. The paper considers why students appear not to have theorised their experiences, and why there is only limited evidence of a critical understanding of academic writing.