Revue Algérienne des Sciences du Langage

Voicing The Invisible Pedagogies Of Control: An Exploration Of Teachers’ Voices On Grading Discourses In Algerian Higher Education

Auteurs : Tihal Wafia . Zeghmar Racha .

Résumé

Assessment is seen as an objective measure for evaluating student achievement; but things are never so straightforward. Hidden behind each score there lies pressure from different aspects which influence the assessment result. This study explores the phenomenon of mark capping in Algerian universities, referring to the practice whereby teachers deliberately limit students’ grades below their actual performance level, often avoiding marks higher than 13 or 14 out of 20 even when students may deserve higher scores, trying to identify factors influencing grades other than the objective one. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 EFL instructors across three universities. The findings reveal four interrelated grading discourses. First, very high marks are treated as symbols of excellence and are often limited to maintain their value. Second, teachers tend to adjust grade distributions across different groups in order to protect their professional credibility. Third, marks function as relational tools that sustain hierarchical distance between teacher and student. Fourth, institutional demands such as workload and anticipated scrutiny prompt teachers to keep their grades within a ‘safe’ range and avoid extreme grades. Collectively, these processes contribute to the reproduction of academic hierarchy and normative assessment practices. The present study reveals that grading indeed serves as an invisible pedagogy that shapes distinction, authority, and normalization, and calls for more critically reflective and ethically grounded assessment practices in Algerian higher education.

Mots clés

Academic culture ; Algerian higher education ; Grading practices ; Invisible pedagogy ; Pedagogical control