Career and Technical Education Teachers’ Perspectives of Evidence-Based Grading

Abstract

As education leans into competency-based assessment methods, Evidenced-Based Grading (EBG) presents as a potential effective option for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers. In this study we use a basic qualitative design to explore CTE teachers’ perceptions of assessment, student growth, and implementation of an Evidenced-Based Grading system. Eight teachers in a Career-Tech Center in Michigan participated in the study, with each completing one semi-structured, in-depth interview about their perceptions of EBG, and data were analyzed following an inductive coding process with open and axial coding. Member checking, audit trails, and peer debriefs were utilized to enhance trustworthiness of findings. In this article we present themes that emerged from the in-depth interviews, as well as a discussion of implications for practice and recommendations for future research.