LITERATURE REVIEW

By: Mozhan Safaei

Mrs. Knowles
November. 18. 2014

The debate on whether or not the grading system should be abolished is a seemingly perpetual
battle. In order to decrease stress levels of students and to allow students to strive towards
excellence, the grading system should be terminated. Students feel as though grades define them
as individuals. . Grades are earned in each course and are recorded on the students permanent
record. Student achievement is evaluated according to the attainment of specific course
objectives. The strain imposed upon students by the grading system is an ongoing and extensive
societal dispute. There are countless studies that concentrate on the effects and pressures that the
grading system incites amongst youths. The focal point of this review is discussion whether or
not the grading system should be abolished. This review will focus on the purpose and impact of
the grading system and will shed light on a more profound level, of the various effects it
implements upon students. . General findings have stated that the grading system puts strain
upon students causing stress, anxiety and in some cases suicide. The demands of both parents
and the education system to achieve top scores, has invoked stress among students as early as
elementary school. It has been argued that the grading system is an essential part of testing one's
abilities and knowledge, which also measure the progress of students. However, statistics show
that cheating among high school students has risen dramatically during the past fifty years. In the
past, it was the struggling student who was more likely to cheat in order to pass. Today, it is also
the above-average college bound student who is cheating.

Presently, the multiplicity of studies that examine the psychological impact of the grading
system have encountered similar data, and as a result, drawn similar conclusions. Sample data

has been collected from students from all ages, genders, and areas of the world, in order to reach
said inferences. . Included in this report, is an article below which explores the social and
psychological impacts of the grading system. The article is based upon accurate stats that have
been gathered from legitimate students. Within a recent observation, a psychologist shadowed
five students at an unnamed high school for a year in order to investigate the sources of highachieving students' intellectual engagement, she found instead that students spent most of their
time "finagling the system" in pursuit of good grades. "In every class where a test was
administered, there was cheating," she said. Students feel as though their life success depends on
getting top SAT scores and the highest grades, she added. The students "know [cheating] is
wrong; they tell me they wish they didn't do it," she said. "But they feel like the most important
thing they do is get the grades, by hook or by crook (Palmer, 2005). Grades, rather than
education has become the preliminary focus of many students. It has become realistic for
students to recieve good grades and pass a course, rather than to fully comprehend the material
being taught. 73% of all test takers, including prospective graduate students and teachers agree
that most students do cheat at some point. 86% of high school students agreed (ETS, 2004).
When students view their grades and are not content, their self-esteem lowers, ultimately causing
them to feel as though they have tainted their future. . A student may grasp the course material
but not be able to demonstrate this understanding on a test, resulting in a low grade even if they
are working hard. It is incredibly unfortunate to conclude that the pressure of the grading system

has escalated to the level where individuals rely on academic dishonesty and cheating in order to
receive better grades.
Furthermore, a similar article found that centralizes on the health concern in regard to the
grading system. The main focus within the article is based upon the mental perception of an
individual within pressures of the grading system. Other than stating the stress factors of the
grading system, the article goes into depth on the mistreatment and injustice that the grading
system elicits. Within a survey of 500 students, the following results were found; 61% of the
students had experienced at least one form of mistreatment, perceived mistreatment most often
(52%) took the form of psychological humiliation and mistreatment related to religion (36%),
mistreatment related to external appearance (35%), sexual harassment (33%) and mistreatment
related to specialty (29%) were also common (Walsh, E., & Eggert, L. L. 2007). This article
strongly enlightens viewers on a subject that has not been brought to light. This article differed
from other articles due to the concentration on mistreatment and injusticeness regarding the
grading system. The article had strong points and proof to help backup the arguments that were
being presented. The article also tied in with other research that was found, helping support the
idea of abolishing the grading system, providing thorough explanations of factors that
contributed to stress and negative downfalls of students.

The struggle to balance a social life, work, extra curriculars and maintainig high grades, has
become a major stress factor within a students life. However recently, it has driven students to

self harm, and in some cases, commit suicide. An article that was found, analyzes the suicide
rate and risks of students that are resulting from stress and grade failure. The article explores
how the grading system can lower the self-esteem of students and potentially lead to suicide.
Analysis of covariance tests, controlling for age and sex, were conducted to examine differences
between the suicide risk and non-suicide risk groups on each risk and protective factor. The
suicide risk subgroup reported higher levels of all risk factors, except alcohol and marijuana use,
and lower levels of protective factors (Walsh, 2007). Within this article, a major issue was
brought to attention. This article is unique in that its central theme is rather controversial. It
discusses the serious concern of school-induced stress.. Unlike other articles, the article has a
more serious approach and pulls away from the topic of stress and focuses on the drug and
suicide relation between students in regard to the pressures that the grading system. It is
horrendous that something as irrelevant as a grade, can corrupt an individual to such an extreme,
leading to drug abuse and even self-harm.A grade should not define ones intelligence, a number
should not define who one is..
In conclusion, the analysis within this review reaches the same conviction. the grading
system has a negative impact towards the youths of todays society. Statistics have reinforced the
main conclusion that not only does the grading system lower student self-esteem, but causes
stress. And in some cases, students turn to drugs and alcohol to help cope with the stress of
school. The pressure from family members and peers to do well in school and achieve high
marks, is incredibly stressful. A grade should not determine an individual's intelligence. Nor

should it ever leave a student feeling worthless.. Students must to be taught the volubility of
education, rather than a grade. Instead of motivating students to understand the material that is
being taught, the system has conveyed that passing a test is more important. As such, students
will study for a test not fully comprehending the material, only to write the test, receive a mark,
then forget about the material that was taught. The focus must be directed on aiding students to
understand the material and help them progress with their academics. An individual may have
have all the knowledge in the world, but it is useless if they do not know how to apply that
knowledge. Rather than judge students on their ability to copy down memorized work, such as
on a test, they should be taught to apply the material to real life. Education is meant to build
society, not break it.

REFERENCE PAGE
Al-Hussain, S. M., Al-Haidari, M. S., Kouri, N. A., El-Migdadi, F., Al-Safar, R. S., &
Mohammad, M. A. (2008). Prevalence of mistreatment and justice of grading system in five
health related faculties in Jordan University of Science and Technology.Medical Teacher, 30(3),
82-86.
Palmer, B. (2005, February 23). News. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://
news.stanford.edu/news/2005/february23/cheat-022305.html
Hart, S., Hodgkinson, S., Belcher, H., Hyman, C., & Cooley-Strickland, M. (2013). Somatic
symptoms, peer and school stress, and family and community violence exposure among urban
elementary school children. Journal Of Behavioral Medicine, 36(5), 454-465. doi:10.1007/
s10865-012-9440-2
Walsh, E., & Eggert, L. L. (2007). Suicide risk and protective factors among youth
experiencing school difficulties.International Journal Of Mental Health Nursing, 16(5), 349-359.