Contrasting Grading Approaches in Introductory Physics and Quantum Mechanics: The Case of Graduate Teaching Assistants

At large research universities, physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading in courses at all levels. However, few studies have focused on TAs' grading practices in introductory and advanced physics courses. This study was designed to investigate whether physics...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review. Physics education research 2017-05, Vol.13 (1), p.010120, Article 010120
Main Authors: Marshman, Emily, Sayer, Ryan, Henderson, Charles, Singh, Chandralekha
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Colleges & universities
Criteria
Difficulty Level
Grading
Graduate Students
Interviews
Introductory Courses
Physics
Problem Solving
Professional development
Quantum Mechanics
Quantum physics
Questionnaires
Research facilities
Scientific Concepts
Students
Teacher Expectations of Students
Teaching Assistants
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Summary:At large research universities, physics graduate teaching assistants (TAs) are often responsible for grading in courses at all levels. However, few studies have focused on TAs' grading practices in introductory and advanced physics courses. This study was designed to investigate whether physics graduate TAs grade students in introductory physics and quantum mechanics using different criteria and if so, why they may be inclined to do so. To investigate possible discrepancies in TAs' grading approaches in courses at different levels, we implemented a sequence of instructional activities in a TA professional development course that asked TAs to grade student solutions of introductory physics and upper-level quantum mechanics problems and explain why, if at all, their grading approaches were different or similar in the two contexts. We analyzed the differences in TAs' grading approaches in the two contexts and discuss the reasons they provided for the differences in their grading approaches in introductory physics and quantum mechanics in individual interviews, class discussions, and written responses. We find that a majority of the TAs graded solutions to quantum mechanics problems differently than solutions to introductory physics problems. In quantum mechanics, the TAs focused more on physics concepts and reasoning and penalized students for not showing evidence of understanding. The findings of the study have implications for TA professional development programs, e.g., the importance of helping TAs think about the difficulty of a problem from an introductory students' perspective and reflecting on the benefits of formative assessment.
ISSN:2469-9896
2469-9896
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.010120