As student-centered classroom practices become more popular, one aspect of the classroom that is increasingly of interest is that of assessment. Lack of student voice in assessment practice has implications for autonomy development, perceptions of power, and motivation, particularly in STEM fields. The current dissertation seeks to bridge the empirical and theoretical domains of power, motivation, and classroom assessment practice in order to realize a more holistic student assessment experience. Study 1 used qualitative inquiry into classroom assessment experiences of UCLA STEM undergraduate students and professors. Individual interviews (n=22), classroom observations, and analysis of classroom syllabi were carried out to understand the lived experience of participants. Coding was conducted on interview transcripts with discourse analysis of field notes and content analysis of syllabi used to corroborate these experiences. Themes included issues of implicit versus explicit power, foundational need for trust, and motivation in flux. These are discussed as “It Is How It Is” – where participants refer to past/current assessment practice—and how “It Could Be”—where participants envision the future of assessment practice. In general, participants were not satisfied with current assessment practice and provided suggestions for future practice.
Study 2 examined the effects of a classroom intervention that engages student voice in assessment on student perceptions of power, motivation, and attitudes towards assessment. First-year students enrolled in a STEM cluster course (n=240) took a baseline survey of measures in Fall with follow-up surveys in Winter and Spring quarters. Half of all discussion sections were randomly assigned to the intervention group in Winter; here, TA’s solicited student voice in participation grading criteria. Linear mixed models were used to analyze effects of the intervention. For all students, perceptions of power increased over time while motivation orientations and grades significantly decreased from Fall to Spring. The intervention had significant impact on first-generation students and those whose TA changed from Fall to Winter.
Findings from the current dissertation have implications for practice and policy. As the landscape of higher education adapts as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is imperative that assessment practice adapt alongside. Participant perceptions point to a crucial need for equitable classroom assessment that ensures learning and success for all.
