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Article
Academic Discipline and Beliefs About the Purpose of Grades: A Cross-Sectional Study of Business School Faculty
Review of Business Research
  • Timothy D. Cairney, Georgia Southern University
  • Christopher Hodgdon, Georgia Southern University
  • John N. Dyer, Georgia Southern University
  • Sewon O., Texas Southern University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2006
Disciplines
Abstract

This study presents results of a web-based survey about the grading beliefs of a sample of U.S. business school faculty. Two dimensions of beliefs are examined: the gatekeeper belief and the frame-of-reference (norm versus criterion). Using a national, cross-sectional sample of business school faculty, we find significant differences among business disciplines which suggest that our various areas provide different, but complementary, evaluations of student performance. For instance, the more factual business disciplines exhibit stronger gatekeeper beliefs while the more qualitative business disciplines exhibit weaker gatekeeper beliefs. Similar differences exist for the frame-of-reference that faculty use in assigning grades. These differences have implications for addressing grade inflation and for student assessment by employers and for expanding course content within disciplines.

Citation Information
Timothy D. Cairney, Christopher Hodgdon, John N. Dyer and Sewon O.. "Academic Discipline and Beliefs About the Purpose of Grades: A Cross-Sectional Study of Business School Faculty" Review of Business Research Vol. 6 Iss. 4 (2006) p. 123 ISSN: 2378-9670
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/timothy-cairney/16/