Investigating the association between the big fish little pond effect and grading on a curve : A large-scale quasi-experimental study
Journal article
Fleischmann, Moritz, Hübner, Nicolas, Marsh, Herbert W., Trautwein, Ulrich and Nagengast, Benjamin. (2021). Investigating the association between the big fish little pond effect and grading on a curve : A large-scale quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Educational Research. 110, p. Article 101853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101853
Authors | Fleischmann, Moritz, Hübner, Nicolas, Marsh, Herbert W., Trautwein, Ulrich and Nagengast, Benjamin |
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Abstract | Equally able students have a lower academic self-concept in high-achieving classrooms, the big fish little pond effect (BFLPE). Grading on a curve—providing the best grades to the best students in the class and the worst grades to the worst students—has been speculated to contribute to the BFLPE. However, empirical evidence for this assumption is not conclusive as it stems from correlational studies. We tested the association between the BFLPE and grading on a curve with a natural experiment from the 1970s in which Swedish municipalities were free to abolish grading (N = 9,104). The BFLPE did not differ between nongraded and graded students. Our results suggest that students engage in social comparisons independent of whether or not they are graded. |
Keywords | academic self-concept; big fish little pond effect; social comparison; grading on a curve; multilevel modeling |
Year | 2021 |
Journal | International Journal of Educational Research |
Journal citation | 110, p. Article 101853 |
Publisher | Elsevier Ltd |
ISSN | 0883-0355 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101853 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85116463678 |
Open access | Published as green open access |
Page range | 1-11 |
Author's accepted manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
Publisher's version | License All rights reserved File Access Level Controlled |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 05 Oct 2021 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 06 Aug 2021 |
Deposited | 25 Feb 2022 |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8x5z0/investigating-the-association-between-the-big-fish-little-pond-effect-and-grading-on-a-curve-a-large-scale-quasi-experimental-study
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AM_Fleischmann_2021_Investigating_the_association_between_the_big.pdf | |
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | |
File access level: Open |
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