June 26, 2025

How to Manage the Tension Between Grades and Feedback

One of the most persistent challenges we face is convincing students to focus less on grades and more on learning. Unfortunately, unless we are careful, grades can get in the way of learning rather than support it. Multiple research studies have shown that when students are presented with a grade followed by feedback, they give their attention to the grade and often ignore the feedback. Yet, learning growth is far more likely to result from heeding and using feedback than from information communicated by a grade.

It is not that grades are not important or do not have a role to play. Well-constructed and anchored grades can give parents and caregivers a general view of how their child is doing. They can serve as a broad indicator of how well a student has performed in a subject area or discipline. They can even be reasonable reflections of how well students manage self-discipline, persist with challenges, and maintain effort toward important goals over time.

We also need to recognize that grades do not produce the results that many educators assume. Grades are not particularly strong or sustaining motivators of learning. In fact, grades are the leading source of school-related stress, especially for older students. Grades often tempt students to prioritize tasks and challenges according to what “will count,” not what will best support their learning. Additionally, grades can promote a focus on assessment performance over learning. They can leave students vulnerable to a “learn, test, forget” mindset. Finally, grades typically communicate how well a student performed, not how much they learned.

Meanwhile, excessive feedback may not be the answer either. Despite the effort we might give to developing and sharing detailed feedback on every aspect of every piece of work students complete, too much feedback can quickly overwhelm students and leave them ignoring the valuable insights and guidance we offer. Feedback that students are most likely to use is targeted to the intended learning, specific, timely, and actionable. It is digestible and useful for the next steps in learning.

So, where might we turn if we want students to rely less on grades to tell them how they are doing and provide them with the guidance and support they need to keep learning? We might consider options such as:

Frequent low-stake quizzes and other non-graded practice activities. Removing the pressure of a grade can encourage students to focus on what they are learning.
Rubrics that support student self-assessment. Providing students with
anchors to assess areas of strength and opportunities for growth and improvement can promote ownership for learning
Student goal setting and progress monitoring. When students set goals and monitor their progress, learning often accelerates, motivation grows, and confidence develops.
Reflection and journaling. Students can reflect on their struggles and triumphs and gain more awareness of their progress
Peer-to-peer feedback. When students provide feedback to their peers, their peers can be more open to heeding and using it. Additionally, students tend to improve their own work when they offer constructive feedback to others.
Timely, targeted teacher feedback. Our feedback, when not attached to a grade, can feel less threatening and critical. In fact, our feedback can feel more like coaching than judging.

Of course, the reality of grades and grading remains for most of us. What are some practices that prioritize learning in a world that still expects grades? Here are five places to start:

Delay assigning grades as long as practical. The more we can delay assigning grades, the more learning growth we are likely to capture. When students are given a grade, they typically assume that the learning involved is complete and reduce their attention and effort.
Create space between providing feedback and giving grades. Giving students time to reflect on feedback before receiving a grade helps to prevent grades from hindering learning.
Confine grade-associated feedback to learning targets. Additional and extraneous feedback can add to the distraction and leave students even more likely to ignore everything but the grade.
Consider sharing “temporary” or “practice” grades that can be improved by heeding the feedback we provide. For students who are focused on grades, the opportunity and guidance for how to improve can focus their attention and learning efforts.
Utilize a variety of data sources to develop grades. Portfolios, one-on-one conferences, demonstrations, presentations, and other performance opportunities can provide a wider range of opportunities for feedback and more ways for students to learn.

Shifting students’ focus away from the primacy of grades and toward learning can, obviously, lead to more learning. It can also reduce the amount of time we spend collecting data, calculating scores, and creating grades.

Reference:

Kuepper-Tetzel, C., & Gardner, P. (2021). Effects of temporary mark withholding on academic performance. Psychology Learning & Teaching, (20)3, 405-419. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725721999958