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Cited by 222Student Assessment and FeedbackNames, Identity, and Discrimination ResearchEducational Technology and Assessment

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 42 of the 43 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Bias in grading: A meta-analysis of experimental research findings

Malouff, John M, Thorsteinsson, Einar B·2016·Australian Journal of Education
DOI 10.1177/0004944116664618
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Abstract

This article provides a meta-analysis of experimental research findings on the existence of bias in subjective grading of student work such as essay writing. Twenty-three analyses, from 20 studies, with a total of 1935 graders, met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. All studies involved graders being exposed to a specific type of information about a student other than the student’s performance on a task. The hypothesized biasing characteristics included different race/ethnic backgrounds, education-related deficiencies, physical unattractiveness and poor quality of prior performance. The statistically significant overall between-groups effect size was g = 0.36. Moderator analyses showed no significant difference in effect size related to whether the work graded was from a primary school student or a university student. No one type of biasing characteristic showed a significantly higher effect size than other types. The results suggest that bias can occur in subjective grading when graders are aware of irrelevant information about the students.

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Research works printed but not linked: 7

  1. 10.3102/00028312022002175 · DOI
  2. Belsey, C. (1988). Marking by numbers. AUT women , No. 15 (pp. 1–2). London, UK: Association of University Teachers.
  3. Borenstein M., 2005, Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2
  4. *Gerritson, M. (2013). Rubrics as a mitigating instrument for bias in the grading of student writing (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
  5. Haeran J., 2010, College Teaching, 57, 51
  6. *King J. L., 1998, Educational Research Quarterly, 22, 13
  7. Warren Piper D., 1996, Examination practices and procedures in Australian universities

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Metadata

Authors
Malouff, J. M., & Thorsteinsson, E. B.
Affiliations
University of New England (AU)
Corresponding author
Malouff, John M
ORCID
Venue
Australian Journal of Education
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2016-09-21
Volume
60
Issue
3
Pages
245-256
ISSN
  • 0004-9441 (ISSN-L)
  • 2050-5884
DOI
10.1177/0004944116664618
OpenAlex
W2512722101
Cited by
222
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 22 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3
FWCI
6.60
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Australian Journal of Education (publishedVersion)
  • EPubDev Repository (submittedVersion)
  • RUNE (Research UNE) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Student Assessment and Feedback
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Educational Technology and Assessment
Keywords
grading bias, subjective grading, essay writing, student assessment, race and ethnicity, physical attractiveness, prior performance

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