THE EXPERIENCE OF SCHOOL ASSESSMENT BY PRIMARY AND SECONDARY PUPILS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE AWARENESS OF MOTIVATIONAL PROCESSES AT SCHOOL

This article attempts to understand the way French primary and secondary pupils react to educational verdicts using a quantitative approach to a questionnaire administered to secondary-school pupils. This analysis endeavours to distinguish the effects of two distinct assessment practices: competency-based assessment and grading. The competency-based assessment most frequently used in primary school helps to alleviate pupils' sense of discouragement, but as is the case for grades, cannot completely rid them of a certain fear of failure. Finally, our study shows that pupils in the study work first and foremost with the objective of obtaining good grades as well as favorable professional prospects.