Marking to motivate

last updated:September 2010

How can you mark work in ways that will motivate pupils to improve?

Research evidence

The traditional practice of giving marks and grades judged pupils work, but did not explain to them how they could improve it. It also emphasised competition and tended to discourage pupils who did relatively badly. The research shows that it is important that teachers give pupils feedback that makes them think. This is achieved by making comments that:

• identify what has been done well
• identify what still needs improvement
• gives guidance on how to make that improvement.

It is also important that teachers plan opportunities for pupils to follow up and act on comments, for example, by using some lesson time to allow pupils to redraft their work.

Your evidence

You could reflect on your approach to marking pupils’ work by examining a range of your pupils’ exercise books.  As you scan them, look out for the extent to which:

• your marking and feedback consists of correcting mistakes
• you point out what, specifically, is good about your pupils’ work
• you offer suggestions about how the work could be improved
• you give hints or information intended to help the pupils find a solution for themselves
• your pupils revise their work appropriately, and
• your pupils appear to respond to your feedback by reducing the number of similar mistakes in subsequent work.

How effective do you feel your current marking practice is in moving your pupils’ learning forward?  How consistent is what you actually do with what you believe about good practice in marking work? What might be the cause of any discrepancies?

Next steps

Having analysed your current marking practice, you might like to find more ways of encouraging pupils to think for themselves how they could improve their work.  Perhaps you could talk with a colleague and share ideas and strategies with them?  You could explain to your pupils why you are experimenting with new approaches to marking and ask them what comments and feedback they find most helpful.