Exploring motivation: Contract-based ungrading in intermediate Spanish courses

Given that the classroom is a social context that can either satisfy or frustrate learner motivation, pedagogical strategies bound by controlling evaluative frameworks, such as traditional grading systems (TGS), provide little support for long-term learning. This is especially concerning in the world language (WL) classroom where successful learning outcomes are determined by both affective and contextual factors. To this end, this action research examines the design and implementation of an ungrading pedagogical framework we have titled Contract-Based Ungrading (CBU), in order to explore how evaluative systems interplay with motivational factors in the WL classroom. Data sources included teacher and learner artifacts as well as anonymous questionnaires, analyzed using content analysis and extreme case sampling. Following a self-determination theory framework, findings suggest that CBU offers key ingredients for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, which promote motivation in the WL classroom, offering potential for engaged learner participation as well as long-term, meaningful language learning.