2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mastery grading has been increasingly adopted in STEM education due to its focus on student growth, and well-being. Following two years of mastery grading implementation in a Calculus I course in an engineering school, this study aims to explore the long-term and demographic impacts of the mastery grading scheme, as well as its impact on students' perceptions at the end of the semester. Our previous findings showed that students in the mastery-graded classes experienced reduced test anxiety, earned higher letter grades through penalty-free reattempts, and felt more confident in their math abilities. While no significant difference was found in their end-of-semester performance, the common final exam results showed notable benefits from mastery grading for students with the lowest diagnostic scores entering Calculus I.

In this phase, we will track the progression of students from the fall 2023 cohort in two subsequent courses, Calculus II and Calculus III, focusing on their end-of-semester performance and DFW (D/fail/withdrawal) rates. Additionally, the study will expand to the fall 2024 cohort to analyze the effect of mastery grading across various demographic groups, examining whether certain groups benefit more from this approach. Specifically, we will analyze performance differences by gender, race, and first-generation status. We will also examine how mastery grading impacts students’ perceptions of their identity, self-efficacy, growth mindset, sense of belonging, and test anxiety over the semester.

This IRB-approved study is ongoing, with data collection spanning fall 2023, spring 2024, and fall 2024. Student performance will be compared using placement test scores and results from common exams in Calculus I, II, and III. Pre-course and post-course surveys will be conducted to collect students' responses about their perceptions. The analysis will be conducted after the fall 2024 semester concludes.