Psychological Aspects of Examining and Marking at Schools

The basic thesis of the study is that examining and marking the pupils’ knowledge within the framework of classroom instruction is important from the didactic as well as educational standpoint. For this reason pedagogy and educational psychology for several decades have been trying to work out the so-called objective methods of examining and marking in addition to the traditional subjective methods. It is stated that officially only the traditional subjective method of examining and marking is used at schools in Czechoslovakia. By analysing the marks attained by pupils at one school in Bratislava (with 33 classes) the author indicates the weak points and irregularities of this system: different marks in the same subjects, in parallel classes, in easy and difficult subjects, in different grades and school terms. The author proves that this system has an unfavourable psychic reflection on the pupils. They often regard classroom examining as an incalculable event, having fatalistic and irrational views on it. They adopt an incorrect and deformed attitude also to the marking system, considering it very often wrong and unjust; all this unfavourably influences their attitude to school work and duties. In view of the didactic and educational gravity of this problem the author draws the conclusion that it should be given more attention than up to now and should be approached scientifically; this should be done as “part of a complex inquiry into the teaching processes at schools.