An investigation of Inflation in Grades in Higher Education: A Longitudinal Analysis of Learners’ Performance

Author(s) : Dr. Erum Aslam khan *, Dr. Amjad Ali Bukhari , Farasat Zahra

Abstract:

Grades are standards and indicators to reflect student learning effects in institutes around the world. Grades play an important role in considering a student's performance while recruiting or admitting learners to higher educational institutional. However, current researches in educational system have showing an extensive procedure of Inflation in grades that lays a straight pressure on integrity and liability of university’s values of superiority and their leaners. Key objective of this investigative study was, therefore, to examine presence of Inflation in grades in higher educational institutes. To accomplish the goal of this study, descriptive research strategy was used by the researcher. The quantitative technique sustained by qualitative data collecting practice was used to gather data. For the determination of presence of inflation in grades, two ways were implemented. First, longitudinal investigation of tendencies in learners’ grades was carried out. Secondly, variance between learners’ achievement in teacher made test [TMT] and researcher made test [RMT]. For this purpose, firstly, the record of learners acquiring accepted CGPAs and consistent grades of 36 departments of BS-4 year’s programs of five sessions (i.e. 2012-2016) of 3 Universities of Punjab were gathered from Controller of Examination office. Secondly, the information of learner’s grades received from the scores in teacher made test [TMT] and researcher made test [RMT] in 14 departments of Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan was collected. The collected data was analyzed by percentage and t- test is used to find the difference in TMT and RMT. Findings of study revealed that the overall longitudinal investigation of trend in student’s final grade, A and B grades being awarded more than C grade, increased CGPAs and percentage alteration in level of high grades of A, B and C in 36 departments of three different universities of Punjab is indication of usual high inflation in grades. Better scores in RMT as related to TMT exposed a significant difference among the mean scores and also clearly seen that inflation in grades existed in both groups at university level.

Keywords: Grades, Cumulative grade points, Longitudinal analysis, Inflation.