Author(s) :

Sophie Chan.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

While recent attention has often been directed at criticizing the current prevalent forms of grading, much less attention has been directed toward the proposed alternative: gradeless learning. The champions of this new approach argue for its ability to promote student wellbeing and good learning habits, all while ensuring the academic rigor of the material students are taught. However, such promises have not always been fulfilled, and gradeless learning remains a method of education largely uncommon in schools. This study aims to investigate the difficulties of utilizing the new approach, or barriers to its success. This narrative review consists of 13 empirical studies and 6 conceptual sources from 1973 2025, spanning 8 countries and 12 schools. The results found suggest the existence of barriers not only in the implementation of such a method of learning, but also within societal constructs like the proposed meritocracy. Students perceived barriers in the implementation processes as negative effects of variation, citing too much variation in communication, teacher understanding and commitment, and scoring as issues that compromised their view of the approach. It was also found that outside pressures had an impact on the effectiveness of gradeless learning achieving its goals. Social constructs like meritocracy instill in students and parents alike the idea that hard work means good grades, and in turn, a good future. The addition of gradeless learning interrupts such a construct as it introduces a novel method of communicating merit, leading students to doubt its ability to properly communicate to institutions like colleges.