Grade expectations

Abstract

Countries vary in the way they use marks, but they all tend to reward the mastery of skills and attitudes that promote learning. Teachers tend to give girls and socio-economically advantaged students better school marks, even if they don’t have better performance and attitudes than boys and socio-economically disadvantaged students. It seems that marks not only measure students’ progress in school, they also indicate the skills, behaviours, habits and attitudes that are valued in school.