Abstract
This study investigates whether students reward lenient grading with higher course and instructor evaluations. The research examined data from fourteen graduate teaching assistants and 1,335 students enrolled in the basic hybrid speech course at Oklahoma State University across the 1983–1984 academic year. Grades awarded by instructors were compared with mean student evaluations of both the instructor and the course. While significant differences were found between the grade distributions of easier and harder graders, no significant differences emerged in corresponding instructor or course evaluation scores. These findings suggest that although grading practices vary, higher grades do not automatically result in more favorable evaluations. The study therefore offers a negative answer to the persistent question of whether students repay high grades with high evaluations.
Recommended Citation
Harper, Bena H.
(1987)
"Do Students Repay High Grades With High Evaluations? An Old Question Revisited,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 60, Article 26.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol60/iss1/26
