Teachers 'could base marks on pupils' personalities'

Teachers may give higher marks to pupils with "more desirable" personality traits, research has suggested.

An academic from Queen's University in Belfast (QUB) is one of those behind the international study.

The findings are based on research among almost 1,200 pupils in Russia.

They suggest results given by teachers "might reflect some conscious or unconscious biases" towards pupils with "agreeable" personalities.

The academics from universities in England, Russia and Italy, as well as QUB, looked at the results of high-achieving pupils in science, arts, sports and literature in Sochi in Russia.

The study compared grades awarded to the students by teachers with results they had received anonymously in state exams.

It suggested some teachers base results on more than the academic ability of their pupils.

'Conscious or unconscious biases'

"Teacher-rated school achievement might be more influenced by personality than the objective performance measured by a standardized exam," the research paper concluded.

"Teacher ratings might reflect some conscious or unconscious biases, such as judging more leniently students that they perceive as more focused on school tasks, who are well behaved...and who are more emotionally fragile."

Exam results were instead "mostly disconnected from personality traits".

An academic from Queen's University Belfast was involved in the study

The findings have been published in the latest issue of The Journal Of Personality And Individual Differences.

Dr Kostas Papageorgiou from the School of Psychology at QUB was one of those behind the research.

He said it was unique in exploring the connection between a pupil's academic results and their personality and behaviour.

'Not only ability'

"It was interesting although perhaps not surprising that some teachers seem to award higher grades to students with more 'desirable' personality traits such as high agreeableness," he said.

"It is worth considering that in a small number of cases what differentiates student grades is not only actual ability but perceived personality characteristics."

"However, the results of the study are not marked enough to say that this bias is making a huge difference to outcomes."

"Marking exams blindly and having a moderation system in place will definitely reduce the negative impact of this bias."

In Northern Ireland, as summer exams have been cancelled, schools will calculate grades to be awarded to their pupils in 2021.

A similar arrangement was in place in 2020, but the Education Minister Peter Weir has decided that exams will be held again in 2022.