Motivation and Grades

Why do students go to class, do homework or study for tests?  Most students would answer they do all of those things for the grade.  But are grades an addiquit motivator?  Are they even an accurate way to measure learning?  I would argue grades are problematic, at best.

Grades are a form of external motivation.  The more they are used the more intrinsic motivation is killed.  When you see young children they want to know more and more.  By the time they have reached high school the intrinsic desire to know and learn is all but gone for the majority of students. The two most used questions by students are, "Is this on the test?" and "How many points is this worth?".  Learning for the sake of knowledge is rarely considered.

The other major problem is the importance given to the grades.  Grades have become almost a declaration of personal worth.  Kids measure themselves and others based on them.  Grades are not measurements of a person value nor are they an accurate representation of learning and knowledge.  The inaccuracy of grades is demonstrated well here http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2015/01/what-grade-should-they-get.html.  

Education needs to move to a system that encourages intrinsic motivation and leads to learning for the sake of learning.