Tension and Grace: Perceptions of Assessment and Grading Among Christian Higher Education Faculty and Impact on Job Satisfaction

Authors

• Jerry L. Pitts, Liberty UniversityFollow
• Nary Kitson, Liberty UniversityFollow
• Lori Roach, Liberty UniversityFollow
• Ashley Tharpe, Liberty UniversityFollow
• Sherri Ann Walker, Liberty UniversityFollow
• Daniel P. Yerrington, Liberty UniversityFollow

Abstract

This research investigated Christian higher education faculty members perceived job satisfaction regarding assessment and grading. Six participants completed semi-structured interviews, discussion boards, and journal entries with specific questions related to assessment and grading. A phenomenological methodology using rich textual data generated four themes: pedagogical support, job satisfaction, time management, and emotional investment. Results indicated that faculty believed that assessment and grading were an integral part of their job. Job satisfaction was most prevalent when student growth was apparent in assessment and when students appreciated instructor feedback. The study offered five recommendations: 1) clarified assessment and grading expectations for Christian higher education faculty at the institutional, school, and program level; 2) clear avenues of communication and support regarding assessment (creation, redevelopment, course rigor, and alignment of learning outcomes) and grading (effective feedback, fairness and equality, and maintaining the rigor of the assessment); 3) effective and ethical integration of AI in assignment design and student learning; 4) scaffold assignments to reduce grading pressure, supporting student growth and contributing to greater faculty job satisfaction; 5) provide opportunities for faculty to discuss the spiritual and emotional labor of grading. Limitations included the small sample size. In addition, the type of participants ranged from full-time, part-time, in-person, online, adjunct professors, program directors, curriculum designers, and subject matter experts. Implications for further research include using more diversified participants, focusing on either residential or online faculty, larger sample sizes, and other higher education institutions.

Recommended Citation

Pitts, Jerry L.; Kitson, Nary; Roach, Lori; Tharpe, Ashley; Walker, Sherri Ann; and Yerrington, Daniel P. (2026) "Tension and Grace: Perceptions of Assessment and Grading Among Christian Higher Education Faculty and Impact on Job Satisfaction," Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/jsotl/vol2/iss1/4