Exploring the Ethical Dimensions of Testing and Assessment: An Investigation Into Grade Inflation Among EFL Teachers

  • Enggar Pangesti Wibowo English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154 https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4882-9279
  • Ayu Lestari English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154 https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7857-7861
  • Merry Adrian English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154 https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6603-0196
  • Kanaya Salsabila Firdausiyah English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154
  • Jiaul Haque Islamiy English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154
  • Raudhah Diara Putri English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154
  • Taufiq Kemal English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154
  • Eri Kurniawan English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6128-5466
Abstract views: 356 , PDF downloads: 317
Keywords: Assessment, Ethics, Grade inflation, Grading practices

Abstract

Concerns over grade inflation have been raised since teachers tend to give students higher grades than they should. If the level of achievement does not correspond to an appropriate improvement in quality, it can raise concerns about the value of grades as a meaningful measure of academic achievement as well as the integrity and effectiveness of the education system. This research aims to find out how EFL teachers perceive grade inflation and what procedures and ethical considerations they follow in the grade inflation process. A descriptive qualitative study was employed using structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with two high school EFL teachers in Bandung. The result showed that although academic performance remains a central consideration, unconscious biases may influence grading when student behavior is factored into assessments. Moreover, teachers acknowledge the dilemma of doing grade inflation where they actually get pressure implicitly from the assessment system, which often takes the form of minimum competency standard (KKM/KKTP). However, they approach it positively, viewing it as an opportunity to enhance student abilities. Despite employing different procedures and assessment criteria in their grade inflation practices, both teachers incorporate ethics. This highlights the need for all teachers to understand and implement ethical grading practices.

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Author Biographies

Enggar Pangesti Wibowo, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

ENGGAR PANGESTI WIBOWO was born in Semarang, September 19, 1996. She is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia with funding support from the LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency) scholarship. She obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Negeri Semarang in 2018. Her longest teaching job was being a full-time English teacher at Al Azhar 23 Semarang Islamic Junior High School in 2019-2022.

Ayu Lestari, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

AYU LESTARI was born in Pangkal Pinang, May 24, 1996. She is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia with funding support from the LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency) scholarship. She obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Sriwijaya in 2018.

Merry Adrian, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

MERRY ADRIAN was born in Bukittinggi on April 13, 1996. She is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia with funding support from the LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency) scholarship. She obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Negeri Padang in 2019. She had been teaching English in English First Padang, Indonesia, from 2019 to 2023.

Kanaya Salsabila Firdausiyah, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

KANAYA SALSABILA FIRDAUSIYAH was born in Kuningan on August 5, 2000. She is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. She obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in 2022.

Jiaul Haque Islamiy, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

JIAUL HAQUE ISLAMIY was born in Sukabumi on September 15, 1999. She is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. She obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi in 2023.

Raudhah Diara Putri, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

RAUDHAH DIARA PUTRI was born in Lampung on March 6, 2000. She is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. She obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Lampung in 2022.

Taufiq Kemal, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

TAUFIQ KEMAL was born in Rantauprapat on December 19, 1999. He is a postgraduate student in the English Education study program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. He obtained her bachelor of education degree (S.Pd.) from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in 2022.

Eri Kurniawan, English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 40154

ERI KURNIAWAN was born on November 23, 1981. He is a professor at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. His specializations mainly revolve around language analyses and language education, such as Indonesian and English. He has been teaching English since 2000 and Indonesian since 2004. He has greatly focused on his own languages: Indonesian and Sundanese. His specialties are generative syntax, generative phonology, teaching English as a foreign language, critical discourse analysis, textbook writing, and teaching Indonesian language to foreigners.

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Published
2024-05-21
How to Cite
Wibowo, E. P., Lestari, A., Adrian, M., Firdausiyah, K. S., Islamiy, J. H., Putri, R. D., Kemal, T., & Kurniawan, E. (2024). Exploring the Ethical Dimensions of Testing and Assessment: An Investigation Into Grade Inflation Among EFL Teachers. OKARA: Jurnal Bahasa Dan Sastra, 18(1), 71-97. https://doi.org/10.19105/ojbs.v18i1.12676