Grading of Student's Attainment: Purposes and Functions

Abstract

Lysne, A. 1984. Grading of Students' Attainment: Purposes and Functions. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 28, 149‐165. The article discusses the complex problem of evaluation and grading of students' achievement. During the 1970's a strong movement against the traditional formal grading and use of marks came up in many countries in the western world. The basic problem under question has been what type of reference measures should be used in grading students' achievement — measures of individual potentials or comprehensive norms or standards for attainment of skills and knowledge? The answer to this question depends, of course, on the type of functions the grades are supposed to serve. For individual guidance, it might be sufficient to give information about progress in relation to personal potentials, but that type of evaluation and grading can certainly not be used for selective purposes. A number of factors and viewpoints have to be taken into consideration when new reforms of grading systems for our schools are under discussion and planning.