Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

Classroom Management and Grading

TED 690 Capstone
Paul Delos Santos
August 18, 2016

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

Abstract
Classroom management is vital to a teachers success. With that said, how does classroom
management affect student performance? Jan Hochweber, Ingmar Hosenfeld, and Eckhard
Kliemes study noted that good classroom management can affect students positively and
negatively, especially when it comes to evaluating their ability. This paper goes into detail
regarding the study. Following a brief introduction, the second section focuses on the
relationship between classroom management and grading, followed by an application of the
study in an English Language Arts classroom, and concluding with a recap of points made.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

Introduction
Many first-year teachers are thrust into the classroom with minimal training in classroom
management. Experienced teachers note that classroom management comes from a trial-anderror process (McCarthy, 2014). Setting rules, procedures and expectations help make teachers'
lives easier. Good classroom managers maintain control of their classrooms, maximizing the
instructional time and providing students with ample opportunity to develop knowledge. With
that said, can classroom management affect student performance? Through a study, Jan
Hochweber, Ingmar Hosenfeld, and Eckhard Klieme confirmed that good classroom
management does affect student performance, as evidenced by the correlation between student
grades in the class and their performance on standardized testing. The trio looked at how
classroom management could affect a teachers ability to grade objectively based on academic
performance. They also looked at factors such as classroom composition, classroom
management, and their relationship with student attributes and grades.
Classroom Management and its Effect on Grading
Hochweber, Hosenfeld, and Klieme found that student attributes had to be highlighted in
their assessment of classroom management impact on students overall grades. (Hochweber,
Hosenfeld, and Klieme, 2014, p. 290). Hochweber et al. noted that teachers stressed achievement
in advanced classes, while teachers teaching non-advanced classes weighed nonacademic
factors, such as effort, into their assessments. They also discovered that teachers may use grades
as a means to establish control in difficult classes, meaning a grading bias may be present,
which could have affected their study (Hochweber, Hosenfeld, Klieme, 2014, p. 290). The trio
included researching classroom management as a variable to gain a better understanding of how

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

grades are created in relation to student attributes. The study was performed with math as its
content area.
Good classroom management, in the authors views, optimizes learning time and
increases teachers opportunities to monitor the learning progress (Hochweber, Hosenfeld,
Klieme, 2014, p. 291), providing teachers ample opportunity to access students and provide an
accurate evaluation of ability. Meanwhile, poorly managed classrooms are riddled with
disruptions and other disciplinary problems that mean teachers are less capable of evaluating
students and are more taxed to control the classroom rather than assess it for ability. Because of
this, teachers attempt to coerce students with good grades in exchange for cooperation, which
effectively creates bias in the evaluation process of students (Hochweber, Hosenfeld, Klieme,
2014, p. 291).
The study also highlighted the importance of classroom composition in evaluation of the
students. The trio found the level of parent education played a factor in the relationships between
grades, test scores, interest in the subject, and effort. Hochweber, Hosenfeld, and Klieme
predicted that teachers attempt to compensate for any social disadvantages students may face,
including socio-economic background and overall ability, which the study found not to be the
case (Hochweber, Hosenfeld, and Klieme, 2014, pp. 291, 297). The trio noted that classroom
composition may influence classroom management as well. Teachers adapt to their classroom
composition and from there establish a classroom management plan, which ultimately affected
grading if teachers had to revise the plan to involve using grades as a method of control
(Hochweber, Hosenfeld, and Klieme, 2014, pp. 290- 292).

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

Connection to English
While the study applied strictly to math, the information should be examined by teachers
in all content areas, despite differing sets of assessments. English, for example, offers more
challenges and offers more opportunities for bias. The nature of grading essays, even with
rubrics outlining what is required, comes with a sense of subjectivity such as personal style. This
relates back to what Hochweber, Hosenfeld, and Klieme review in their study. Teachers consider
nonacademic factors in their grading of students rather than academics, which fails to give a
proper evaluation of a students ability. A study performed by the National Centre for Social
Research in the United Kingdom found that teachers do consider nonacademic factors in their
grading. The study stated teachers graded a paper gave a student a higher grade than deserved 1
out of every 10 times because the teacher felt the student made an effort and graded harsher
roughly five percent of the time. Students everyday teachers graded the work initially, which
was then reviewed by specially trained external moderators (Henry, 2013).
Conclusion
The trios study suggested that teachers utilize grades more as a method of classroom
management rather than evaluation of student performance. Hochweber, Hosenfeld and Klieme
conclude that more training on effective classroom management could lead to better assessment
of students and suggested it as a place of further study (Hochweber, Hosenfeld and Klieme,
2014, p. 298). Even in the face of difficult classes, teachers need to establish a strong
classroom management system and stop utilizing grades as a method of gaining compliance.
Instead, teachers should use other methods to manage a classroom, such as building a positive
relationship with students, establishing clear routines and expectations, and reinforcing desirable
actions (Hester, 2013). From there, the teacher will likely need to rely less on using

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

nonacademic factors to grade students and can assess students accurately (Hochweber,
Hosenfeld and Klieme, 2014, p. 298).

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND GRADES

References
Henry, J. (2013, January 6). Teacher 'bias' gives better marks to favourite pupils, research
reveals. Retrieved August 15, 2016, from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9782323/Teacher-bias-gives-better-marks-to-favouritepupils-research-reveals.html
Hochweber, J., Hosenfeld, I., & Klieme, E. (2014). Classroom composition, classroom
management, and the relationship between student attributes and grades. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 106(1), 289-300. doi:10.1037/a0033829
McCarty, R. (2014, October 02). 3 Things I Wish I Knew About Classroom Management.
Retrieved August 15, 2016, from
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/10/02/classroom-management-3-things/