Effect of academic stress or pressure on students' well-being and performance

Breaking the Grades Shackles: Rediscovering the Joy of Learning

Under the looming weight of academic perfection, students and educators confront the question: does the relentless pursuit of top marks erode the essence of education, fostering stress, anxiety, and a disdain for learning?

"When I receive a low grade, it leaves me feeling ashamed and I often lose heart," admits Sylvan Justina P. Luna, a third-year Bachelor of Education Major in English at Asian College of Technology. Once a high achiever, Luna now ponders her exerted efforts as futile when she fails to bag the top grades.

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This sentiment resonates across various academic circles, pointing urgently to the immense stress associated with performing well. The all-consuming pressure can breed self-doubt among students, who fear falling short of their aspirations.

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Even students who have consistently excelled are not spared. Melody Cañeda Tagacanao, a second-year Bachelor of Elementary Education major in Filipino at Cebu Technological University, confides, "When I receive good grades, I derive confidence and become eager to learn more. But when things don't go as planned and grades drop, disappointment and disheartening feelings creep in."

Tagacanao's confession highlights the internal struggle faced by students driven by academic success. The immense pressure to maintain exemplary performance often results in anxiety and discouragement when they fail to meet their own expectations.

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The lingering shadow of failure and disappointment casts a bleak outlook over students grappling with the weight of grades. The relentless pressure to perform may induce feelings of anxiety, exhaustion, and decreased effective learning.

Maria Jonabel R. Bacalla, a Master of Education Major in Educational Leadership and Management, recognizes this dilemma.

"The intense pressure to excel can induce anxiety, stress, and even burnout, hindering students' ability to retain and learn information effectively," she claims.

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This pressure typically propels a hyper-focus on memorization over genuine understanding, straying away from the core aim of education.

"Many educators and institutions have already begun exploring alternatives to traditional grading systems that emphasize growth and alleviate the pressure on students," Bacalla adds. "These changes entail a reevaluation of the fundamental rationale for education, shifting the focus from evaluating performance to nurturing deep understanding and personal development."

The accounts of Sylvan, Melody, and Bacalla elucidate how the pressure to achieve top grades can profoundly affect students' academic journeys, resulting in either increased stress or renewed vigor. It is crucial to establish a balance between motivation and support, fostering an environment where learning transcends the pursuit of impressive marks.

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Beyond the Red Pen: Alternative Grading Systems for Growth

Transitioning from traditional grading systems enables the development of students teeming with mastery rather than competition. Some popular methods include:

Standards-Based Grading: This method centers on students demonstrating specific learning benchmarks. Grades are assigned based on mastery of these standards, rather than overall performance.
Specifications Grading: Assignments are grouped according to certain criteria, allowing students to earn grades by meeting these specified criteria.
Contract Grading: Students and teachers mutually agree on criteria for grades at the start of a term. Grades are determined by adhering to these pre-agreed criteria.
Ungrading: This method focuses on providing qualitative feedback to students, allowing them to self-assess their progress. Teachers may adjust the self-assigned grade in rare instances.
Gameful Learning: Students begin with no points and earn them by completing assignments of their choice. This approach encourages engagement and fosters choice in the learning process.

By implementing these systems, educators aspire to cultivate learning environments lucid of pressure, growth, and individual progress over competitive grading.

The Foundation for Growth: Key Components of Innovative Grading

These alternative grading methods typically lean on four core principles:

Specifically Defined Standards: Standards provide clear targets outlining necessary knowledge or competencies.
** Helpful Feedback**: Timely, constructive feedback links work back to the defined targets.
Progress-Oriented Grades: Grades signify growth and progress toward mastering the standards.
Opportunities for Re-attempts: Encouraging re-attempts without fear of penalization fosters persistence and continuous improvement.

By integrating these principles, the academic landscape can be transformed, allowing students to thrive under reduced stress and increased focus on personal development.

Sylvan Justina P. Luna shares her struggle when she receives low grades, admitting that she feels ashamed and loses heart, reflecting the internal struggle faced by students driven by academic success.
Melody Cañeda Tagacanao confides that while she derives confidence and becomes eager to learn more when she receives good grades, she also experiences disappointment and disheartening feelings when grades drop.
Maria Jonabel R. Bacalla acknowledges that the intense pressure to excel can induce anxiety, stress, and even burnout, hindering students' ability to retain and learn information effectively.
Instead of focusing on evaluating performance, many educators and institutions are exploring alternatives to traditional grading systems to nurture deep understanding and personal development.
To foster an environment where learning transcends the pursuit of impressive marks, educators are transitioning to alternative grading systems like Standards-Based Grading, Specifications Grading, Contract Grading, Ungrading, and Gameful Learning, aiming to cultivate learning environments devoid of pressure, growth, and individual progress over competitive grading.