Hospitality and Tourism Educators’ Perceptions of Grading

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to find out more about what hospitality and tourism educators think about grading to add to the dialog about this subject that is relevant to both instructors and their students. A survey was completed by 118 educators from around the world to learn about instructors’ perceptions of grading practices. Those sampled used predominantly absolute grading based on criteria and the letter system grading in the format of A, B, C, and D. Respondents viewed education as a continuing process of improvement, perceived that grading primarily provides information about student performance, and placed importance on papers and other written assignments when assigning grades in courses. Themes identified in the study included: assigning and grading a variety of items to measure student performance, using portfolios of student work, and providing meaningful feedback regarding academic performance. Based on the findings, suggestions for improving grading practices are provided.