| Grades have historically been and continue to be the primary indicator of student performance in college. Previous studies as cited in the literature have suggested a number of reasons for grade inflation but provide little to no empirical data to support their claims. The primary purpose of this empirical, quantitative, exploratory, comparative study using a non-experimental survey research approach was to determine if there was a difference in the degree to which full-time and adjunct faculties perceived themselves to be influenced by factors thought to be associated with grade inflation, specifically in a community college setting. Using a 34-item questionnaire, descriptive statistics were used to analyze data gathered from 1,559 full-time and adjunct faculty on campuses of a Midwestern community college. All faculty were invited to complete an anonymous, web-delivered, survey instrument consisting of (a) 13 demographic questions, (b) 3 categorical questions, (c) 2 primary questions each listing 16 factors using a 5-point Likert-type rating scale, (d) 1 short answer, and (e) 1 ranking question to measure faculties' perceptions of factors thought to influence grade assignment. Compatible with role theory, findings indicated full-time faculty felt they were significantly more influenced by administration pressures than adjunct faculty, whereas adjunct faculty reported being most often influenced by student concerns such as (a) sympathy for student personal circumstances outside of the course, (b) student anxieties, and (c) success after their course. In the ranking of five factors as being the most influential in final grade assignment, full-time and adjunct faculty selected their teaching effectiveness and sympathy for student personal circumstances as being most influential factors in grade decisions. Factors not included in the survey but cited by participants as being highly influential when taken together in grade assignment decisions were (a) borderline grades, (b) student work effort, (c) attendance, and (d) active participation. Full-time faculty reported higher rigor of grading standards than adjunct faculty during the course although there was no significant difference in self-reported grade inflation indicating adjunct faculty do not differ from full-time faculty in their perceptions of assigning final grades higher than what students actually earned. |
