Secondary level students' perceptions towards letter grading evaluation system

Abstract

Perceptions towards Letter Grading Evaluation Systemis anattempt to explore the secondary level students' perceptions to explore the challenges while implementing letter grading system. Survey research design was used in thisstudy. To meet the set objectives,60secondary level students from 2 institutional schools and1communityschool ofDhanusadistrict were selected byusing purposivenon-random sampling strategy.Questionnaire was used as the main tool for elicitingthe required information. Both open ended and close ended questions were includedin the questionnaire.The study showed that letter grading system is more effective and demanding system to ensure and enhance the quality of education in the context ofNepal. There is no need to pass all subjects to lead good career and have productivelife. The students can choose one specific area on the basis of their ability, capability level, and obtained score in SEE. Letter Grading System provides positive effects onstudents' self-esteem and lead better learning environment, and increases holisticallyin terms of personality. However, letter grading system makes thestudents lazy,careless and minimizes their creativities, innovative and intelligent skills. Similarly,there is a great challenge for ensuring validity, reliability and effectiveness in evaluation system.Further,parentsare lessaware of this system and students have misconception on GPA and grades. This thesis has been divided into five chapters. The first chapter gives anoverview of the thesis along with background and context of the study,objectives ofthe research,rationaleof the research,delimitations of the study and operationaldefinitions of the key termswhereas, the second chapter containsreview of relevant theoretical literature,reviewof empirical literature, implications of the review of thestudy and conceptual framework.On theother hand, the third chapter deals with the methods and procedures followed to collect data for this study and instruments usedto collect the data. Similarly, the fourth chapter encompasses analysis and vii interpretation of the data. It presents the responses of the participants about the issues of the research. Finally, the fifth chapter provides the discussion on the result of the study that was analyzed in Chapter Four. It also contains recommendations for the policy related, practicerelated and further research related. Finally, in the final section,references and appendixare included.