The complexity of the grading system in Turkish higher education

Abstract

Based on the academic performance grades of university students, various high-stakes decisions are made, including determinations of pass/fail status, the awarding of diplomas, and eligibility for placement in graduate education programs. According to the criteria used, the types of assessment are divided into two assessment, criterion-referenced assessments and norm-referenced assessments. When the grading system of state universities in Turkish higher education is examined, it has been observed that some universities use criterion-referenced assessment, some use norm-referenced assessment, and some use both assessment systems. The purpose of this research is to examine whether inter-university grading systems show significant concordance in the context of university students' letter grades or not. In other words, it is to reveal whether there are skew in the grading systems of public universities. In this context, 250 individuals were simulated in a way that their class/group achievement level would show a normal distribution. Among the public universities in the 2021-2022 Academic Performance Ranking of Universities (URAP), four state universities were determined in the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, and last quarter. The letter grades of each student's academic success grade in the relevant universities were determined and it was examined whether there was a significant concordance between the letter grades of the students. In the study, it was concluded that in the context of university students' letter grades, inter-university grading systems generally do not show significant concordance. The findings are expected to contribute to the work of the Council of Higher Education and the University Education Commissions.