For many students, learning doesn’t begin with curiosity. It begins with a letter or number. Grade point averages (GPAs), weighted scales, class rank and honor rolls shape motivation and school culture across not just the United States but the world. Grades are designed to measure achievement and motivate effort, but research suggests when grades become the main focus, students’ motivation and approach to learning can change.
There are two main types of psychological motivation: intrinsic, which means learning because a topic is genuinely interesting, and extrinsic, learning in order to receive a reward or avoid a punishment. According to psychologist and researcher Edward Deci in his paper “Effects of Externally Mediated Rewards on Intrinsic Motivation,” when external rewards such as grades dominate, intrinsic motivation decreases, leading to a concept known as the overjustification effect. Essentially, when students focus solely on earning good grades, they become less focused on the material itself and more focused on the motivation behind the lesson. Questions may start to shift from “what does this mean?” To “will this be on the test?” This makes it significantly more difficult for students to determine which topics they are interested in but may also be a reason why some students feel pressured to take hard classes they may not necessarily have taken otherwise.
“The main reason I took AP Environmental Science was because I wanted to get the GPA boost, and honestly, I heard APES is easier than all the other sciences. I really just wanted the credit, though,” junior Mackenzie Blanchard said.
In her book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” psychologist Carol Dweck studies how achievement influences student mindsets and distinguishes between mastery and performance goals. While students with mastery goals aim to understand and improve, students with performance goals aim to look intelligent and avoid seeming incapable. The goals directly correlate with intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, with mastery goals being more intrinsic and performance goals being more extrinsic. In environments that are highly grade-focused, students are much more likely to exhibit performance goals rather than mastery goals in fear of not seeing the academic outcomes they desire. This can either cause students to avoid taking harder classes due to fear of lowering their GPA or motivate them to take them with the incentive of raising it.
One of the most influential theories of motivation is called self-determination, developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan in their book “Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior.” Their research suggests that humans need three things in order to be motivated: a sense of control over one’s life (autonomy), feeling capable and effective (competence) and feeling connected to others (relatedness).
Grades can support competence and in some cases relatedness, but autonomy, not as much. A strong test score can reinforce the feeling of “I can do this”; however, when grades become the primary reason for completing assignments, students may begin to feel controlled by evaluation rather than driven by genuine curiosity. On the other hand, if a student studies hard but still struggles to understand the material, they may experience academic burnout. This often occurs when students feel they have little control over their learning.
“I feel burnt out for studying so much then failing on the thing I studied so hard for. Because then I think, ‘what was all that studying for?’” junior Myah Randolph said.
During adolescence, the psychological stakes may be even higher since it is a period when identity is still forming. Academic achievement can become intertwined with self-worth, and a disappointing grade could feel like a verdict on intelligence. Phrases like “I’m bad at math” or “I’m not smart enough” can become a self-fulfilling prophecy and pressure students to give up on academics before they get a chance to experience being intrinsically motivated. This is where the conversation about perseverance becomes more complicated. Defined as sustained passion and perseverance towards long-term goals, the concept of GRIT, popularized by psychologist Angela Duckworth in her book “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals,” demonstrates how sticking with long-term challenges can be beneficial for students.
However, perseverance driven by purpose and pressure are two separate things, and it can influence the reason for taking challenging classes as well as the overarching goal. When students feel constant external pressure from grades without a sense of autonomy, burnout comes into play, and sustained effort just turns into exhaustion. In this context, GRIT may actually mask chronic stress due to lack of autonomy.
None of this means grades are inherently harmful; they provide structure, responsibility and a way to measure progress. Without the grading system, students may not have any motivation to go to school, which is imperative for ensuring a well-rounded and educated society. The issue occurs due to associations students’ brains make between the stimulus and learning: are grades functioning primarily as tools for intellectual feedback, or have they become the only motivator to learn? If students feel safe to struggle, revise and grow without constant fear of a letter or number, learning may be more sustainable, and students may better understand themselves as learners.
