Chapter 4
Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data
Chapter 4 includes the presentation of the data gathered and the use of descriptive and inferential
method of the investigation on the “Grade Inflation in COE: Trends and Perceived Causes.” The results are
illustrated in the succeeding tables to support the data gathered. The data of this study were gathered using a
questionnaire.
Descriptive Data Analysis
The initial findings of this inquiry revealed the total number of students with Latin honors in the
College of Education as well as the ranking of the different causes of grade inflation as perceived by
teachers and student respondent. Percentage and mean rank were utilized as descriptive statistics.
Table 2. Proportion of COE graduates with Latin Honors for the past 10 years
Total Number of
Number of Graduates
Academic Year BEED BSED Percentage
Graduates with Latin
Honours
2008-2009 177 236 413 97 23.49%
2009-2010 239 153 392 98 25.00%
2010-2011 203 125 328 107 32.62%
2011-2012 199 138 337 116 34.42%
2012-2013 212 141 353 124 35.14%
2013-2014 210 146 356 147 41.29%
2014-2015 239 181 420 173 41.19%
2015-2016 262 157 419 178 42.48%
2016-2017 276 248 524 261 49.81%
2017-2018 299 244 543 277 51.01%
600
500
Number of Graduates
400
300
Number of Graduates
200
100 Number of Graduates with
Latin Honours
0
Academic Year
Figure [Link] depicting the proportion of graduates in the COE with Latin Honors to the total number of
graduates
Table 2 and Figure 1 show the percentage of COE graduates with Latin Honors in proportion to the
total number of graduates for Academic Year 2008-2009 to 2017-2018. In the academic year 2008-2009,
there were 413 graduates in which 23.49% received Latin honors. The following academic year, 2009-2010,
the total number of graduates has decreased by 5.38%; however, the number of Latin honors recipient has
increased by 1.03%. In academic year 2010-2011, there were 328 total number of graduates in which 107 of
them received Latin honors, or 32.62% among them. Although there is a decrease in the number of
graduating class by 19.51%, the number of graduates receiving the Latin honors continued to increase. By the
academic year 2011-2012, there were 337 graduates and among them 116 were Latin honors recipient. An
increase of 1.8% has occurred as compared to the previous academic year. In the academic year 2012-2013,
there were 353 graduates in which 35.14% of them received the Latin honors. 147 out of 356 graduates in
academic year 2013-2014 have received the said award or 41.29% among the total number of graduates for
the said academic year. The next academic year, 2014-2015, there were 420 graduates of which 173
graduated with Latin honors, or 41.19%. In, 2015-2016, 42.48% graduated with Latin honors out of 419
graduates. In the succeeding academic years, the number of graduates receiving Latin honors continued to
increase. By academic year 2016-2017, there were 524 graduates, 261 of which graduated with Latin honors
or almost half of the graduating class receiving the said honor. Finally, in academic year 2017-2018, more than
half or majority of the graduating class received Latin honors. The total number of graduates was 543 in which
277 of them got the Latin honors.
It can be implied from the table that the greatest contributing factor to grade inflation as perceived by
the students are: students’ increased motivation to study to acquire higher grade (mean rank = 2.97) ;
learners’ easy access to information and technology (mean rank = 4.50) ; teachers improved teaching strategy
that enhanced learners retention of the lesson (mean rank = 5.03) ; students use of more effective learning
strategies (mean rank = 5.23) ; and use of grading criteria that gives more weight to performances and
outputs of students than written examination (mean rank = 5.80).
The leniency of proctors during examination (mean rank = 10.00) was perceived by the students to be
the least contributing factor to students’ grade inflation.
Table 4. Causes of Grade Inflation as Perceived by Teachers
Causes of Grade Inflation as Perceived by Teachers Mean Overall
Rank Rank
1) The learners now have an easy access to information and technology. 3.63 1
2) The grading criteria of teachers now gave more weight to performances 3.87 2
and outputs of students than written examinations.
3) The teachers’ improved teaching strategy enhanced learner’s retention of 4.50 3
the lesson.
4) Students became more motivated to study to acquire higher grades. 4.87 4
5) The students have applied more effective learning strategies. 5.2 5
6) The classrooms became more conducive for learning as well as the 6.33 6
learning facilities have improved.
7) Teachers became more considerate with their students. 6.6 7
8) There is a change in the school’s grading system. 7.13 8
9) The teachers gave easy and less challenging materials and tasks to 7.4 9
students.
10) Students’ I.Q. has improved overtime. 8.2 10
11) Higher grades were given to obtain better students’ evaluations to the 8.97 11
teachers.
12) Leniency of proctors during exams enabled students to cheat and this 10.4 12
made them obtain higher scores.
Table 3. Causes of Grade Inflation as Perceived by Students
Perceived Causes of Grade Inflation Mean Overall
Rank Rank
1) Students became more motivated to study to acquire higher grades. 2.97 1
2) The learners now have an easy access to information and technology. 4.50 2
3) The teachers’ improved teaching strategy enhanced learner’s retention of 5.03 3
the lesson.
4) The students have applied more effective learning strategies. 5. 23 4
5) The grading criteria of teachers now gave more weight to performances 5.80 5
and outputs of students than written examinations.
6) Students’ IQ has improved overtime. 6.17 6
7) There is a change in the school’s grading system. 7.37 7
8) The classrooms became more conducive for learning as well as the 7.50 8
learning facilities have improved
9) Teachers became more considerate with their students. 7. 97 9
10) The teachers gave easy and less challenging materials and tasks to 8.30 10
students.
It can be implied, from the table that the greatest contributing factor to grade inflation as perceived by the
11) Higher grades were given to obtain better students’ evaluations to the 9.60 11
teachers are: learners’ easy access to information (mean rank = 3. 63) ; use of grading criteria of teachers
teachers.
that gives more12) Leniency
weight of proctors during
to performances exams of
and outputs enabled students
students to cheat
than written and this
examinations (mean10.00
rank = 12
made them obtain higher scores
3.87) ; teachers improve teaching strategy that enhanced learners retention of the lesson (mean rank = 4.50)
; students’ increased motivation to study to acquire higher grades (mean rank = 4.87) ; and students use of
more effective learning strategies (mean rank = 5.2).
The leniency of proctors during examination (mean rank = 10.4) was perceived by the students to be
the least contributing factor to students’ grade inflation.
Both Tables 2 and 3 revealed that in terms of the perceived causes by students and teachers of grade
inflation, respectively, they have the same response as to the greatest contributor of grade inflation in the
College of Education that is the students became more motivated to study to acquire higher grades, the
learners now have an easy access to information and technology, the teachers’ improved teaching strategy
enhanced learner’s retention of the lesson, the students have applied more effective learning strategies and
the grading criteria of teachers now gave more weight to performances and outputs of students than written
examinations. However, the perceived causes are ranked differently.
For students, most of them believe that the increase of students graduating with latin honors is due to
the motivation of the students to acquire higher grades.
For teachers, most of them believe that the increase of students with latin honors is due to the
learner's easy access to information and technology.
Both the teachers and students believe that the leniency of proctors during exams have less influence
on the grade inflation in the COE.
Inferential Data Analysis
To determine the significant difference in view of teachers and students on the cause of grade
inflation in the College of Education (COE), the researchers employed the Spearman’s Rho Correlation.
Table 5. Correlation on Causes of Grade Inflation as Perceived by Teachers and Students
Correlation
is significant
Perceived Causes of Grade Inflation at the 0.05
level (2-
Description
tailed)
(Teachers’
and
Students’
responses)
1) Students became more motivated to study to acquire higher grades. .897
No significant
difference
2) The teachers’ improved teaching strategy enhanced learner’s retention of the .971
No significant
lesson. difference
3) There is a change in the school’s grading system. .457
No significant
difference
4) Students’ I.Q. has improved overtime. .345
No significant
difference
5) The grading criteria of teachers now gave more weight to performances and .575
No significant
outputs of students than written examinations. difference
6) The classrooms became more conducive for learning as well as the learning .896
No significant
facilities have improved. difference
7) The learners now have an easy access to information and technology. .745
No significant
difference
8) The teachers gave easy and less challenging materials and tasks to students. .897
No significant
difference
9) Leniency of proctors during exams enabled students to cheat and this made .829
No significant
them obtain higher scores. difference
10) Teachers became more considerate with their students. .948
No significant
difference
11) The students have applied more effective learning strategies. .865
No significant
difference
12) Higher grades were given to obtain better students’ evaluations to the .839
No significant
teachers. difference
The Spearman’s Rho correlation revealed that there is no significant difference on the causes of grade
inflation as perceived by both teachers and students in the College of Education which means that both the
teachers and students respondent have the same perception of what causes grade inflation in the COE.
Chapter 5
Summary, Findings, Conclusions, Implications and Recommendation
This chapter presents the summary of the study, the conclusions drawn from the findings, and some
recommendations based on the research findings which the researcher considers to be of the upmost
importance.
Chapter 5 is divided into of four parts (1) Summary of the Study and the Findings, (2) Conclusions, (3)
Implications, and (4) Recommendations.
Part One, Summary of the Study and the findings, presents the purpose of the study, the respondents,
the research objectives and the methodology and its findings;
Part Two, Conclusions, cites the inferences drawn from the findings of the study;
Part Three, Implications, relates the findings of the study to the existing theories and practices.
Part Four, Recommendations, offers suggestions based on the conclusions drawn from the findings of
the study.
Summary
The purpose of the study was to determine the causes of grade inflation in the College of Education,
West Visayas State University, Iloilo City, as perceived by both students and teachers.
Specifically, this research sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the trend of grade inflation in the College of Education for the past ten
years?
2. What cause contributed most to the grade inflation in the College of
Education for the past ten years as perceived by the teachers?
3. What cause contributed most to the grade inflation in the College of Education as perceived by
the fourth year students?
4. Is there a significant difference in causes or factors affecting grade inflation in the COE as
perceived by students and teachers?
The respondents were chosen through the use of purposive random sampling. There are a total of 60
respondents. The participants of the study are comprised of thirty (30) undergraduate Professors of the
College of Education and thirty (30) fourth year COE students of West Visayas State University, Academic Year
2018-2019.
This descriptive study employed a research made-checklist. The instrument was composed of two
parts. Part one, Personal Data of the Respondents, for teachers, it consists of the name (optional), the
subjects they are teaching, and the number of years of service in the university. For students, it consists of the
name (optional) and the program which they are in (BEED, BSPED or BSED). Part Two consists the statements
that are perceived to cause grade inflation.
Percentage was used to determine the number of graduates with Latin honors in each academic year;
Ranking was used to find out which of the statements obtained the lowest or highest mean ranked accordingly
to affirm the cause grade inflation in the College of Education. The Spearman’s Rho was used to determine the
correlation of the students’ and teachers’ responses on their perception on the causes of grade inflation in the
College of Education.
Findings
Analysis of the gathered data revealed the following findings:
1. The results of the study show that there is an upward trend or there is an increase of number of students
with Latin Honors in the College of Education, although there is a small fluctuation in the school year 2014-
2015 having 41.19% of the total population has Latin honors compared to the previous school year having
41.29%. However, after that school year, the increase of graduates with Latin honors was sustained.
2. The greatest contributing factor as perceived by teachers is the learners’ easy access to information and
technology.
3. While the greatest contributing factor as perceived by students is the increased motivation of students to
study and to acquire higher grades
4. The least among the factor as perceived by both teachers and students is the leniency of proctors during
exams that enabled students to cheat and this made them obtain higher scores.
5. Furthermore, the five (5) greatest contributors to grade inflation in the College of Education as
perceived by students and teachers are the same which are:
a. the increased motivation of students;
b. the teacher’s improved teaching strategies;
c. the change in the grading system;
d. the learner’s easy access to information and technology; and,
e. the student’s learning strategies.
However, there perceived causes were ranked differently.
6. The Spearman’s Rho correlation revealed that there is no significant difference on the causes of grade
inflation as perceived by both teachers and students in the College of Education which means that both the
teachers and students respondent have the same perception of what causes grade inflation in the COE.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:
1. There is an upward or increasing trend in the number of students receiving Latin honors in the College of
Education for the past ten years.
2. The student’s easy access to information and technology was perceived by teachers to have contributed
most to the grade inflation in the College of Education.
3. Students identified the increased motivation of students to study and to obtain higher grades as the major
contributor to grade inflation in the College of Education.
4. Among the three factors that were identified by both the teacher and student respondents, the student
factor was revealed to have contributed most to the rising number of graduates with Latin honors in the
College of Education, while the least contributing factor was a teacher factor.
5. There is no significant difference on the causes of grade inflation in the College of Education as perceived
by teachers and students.
Implications
For Theory
The findings of the present study had no implication to cognitive psychology which explains that the
succeeding generation has lots of opportunity or exposure to abstract mind thus, resulting to better skills to
interpret ideas with the use of media. Although, the study had revealed that the advancement of technology
made it easy access information for students, the results have shown that it is not the prime reason of grade
inflation as perceived by both teachers and students in the College of Education.
For Practice
The results of the study revealed that the student factor greatly affected the grade inflation in the
College of Education.
There is no significant difference as to the major causes of grade inflation as perceived by the
respondents.
On the other hand, the results contradict the notion of the researchers that the increased IQ of
students, as stated in the theory of Flynn Effect, caused the rise in the number of graduates with Latin honors
in the COE because the results revealed that the cause as perceived by students is due to the motivation of
students to acquire higher grades and for teachers, the easy access to information have led to the
phenomenon of grade inflation.
Recommendations
1. Teachers should continue providing stimulating and challenging learning activities and
improve their teaching strategies to further enhance student motivation and the academic
performance
2. The College of Education and the University should provide improved access to technology for
student’s easy acquisition of information.
3. The future researchers can conduct further studies and gather more information and insights in line
with this study. They may focus on the correlation of the performance of student’s with Latin awards with their
performances in the Licensure Examination for Teachers or in their actual performance in their workplace.