Презентация, доклад по английскому языку для старшеклассников COURSEWORK IN GCSE IN ENGLISH AND SCIENCE в рамках элективного курса Система образования в Великобритании

IRINA SIMONIKHINA

in GCSE is a valid and fair internal examination

OBJECTIVES
To explore attitudes of teachers and students towards coursework
To examine benefits and drawbacks of coursework for students and for teachers

RATIONALE
Previous experience of working at a secondary school in Russia concerning taking part in the national experiment for introduction of Common National Exam for school leavers
Concerns about fairness and validity of coursework, its consistency, testing skills and attributes of students, overall burden on students and teachers in the current educational system in the UK
The UK government's initiative to restrict coursework in GCSE examination in some school subjects

educational assessment
National Criteria
White Paper 14-19 Education and Skills 2005
Policy documents on GCSE
Working Papers of QCA

which is set and marked by the teacher and “undertaken by candidates in accordance with specification during their course of study and that contributes to the final grade awarded for a GCSE qualification” . Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA 2006).

Written work and extended essay
Project work and investigations
Practical experiments
Production of artefacts
Production of individual or group performance work
Oral work
Statistical or numerical tasks
(QCA 2006)

assessment
Changes to GCSE coursework assessment from 2009 (controlled conditions, stronger safeguards, phasing out)

students aged 11 to 18 years
Three specialisms: Performing Arts, Maths and Computing, Vocational Studies
1750 students on roll
Key Stage 4 – 630 students
110 teachers
GCSE results - 2006
99% of students achieved success in at least one GCSE
67% of students aged 15 were awarded 5 or more A+ – C grades
Almost 22% of all grades awarded were A+ or A

as a method of assessment?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of coursework in English and Science for teachers and students?
What are the teachers attitudes towards the 14-19 Reform initiatives to restrict coursework in GCSE examinations?

Acquisition and processing of statistics
Semi-structured interviews
Teachers questionnaires
Students questionnaires
Classroom observations

Sampling issues

Two Heads of Department (English and Science) – semi-structured interviews
10 Science and 5 English teachers – questionnaires
20 English students - questionnaires
20 Science students - questionnaires

1

2

(TEACHERS` VIEWS ; TOP 6 MENTIONS) CHART 7

1 Can monitor/ Assess students progress;
Allows greater freedom and flexibility within the curriculum;
Allows time to get to know the students and their work;
Allows time for practical skills to be formally assessed;
Motivating ;
Boosts grades/ Better results

(TEACHERS` VIEWS; TOP 6 MENTIONS) CHART 8

1 Takes time to mark them, it's an extra burden
2 Offering pupils to re-draft/re-submit their coursework increases teacher's workload
3 Trying to get work from students in time to meet deadline
4 Gives me more work
5 Can't be sure if students do their work themselves
6 Can't control the conditions/Difficulties in authenticating the work

(STUDENTS` VIEWS) CHART 9

1 More experience
2 Independent learning
3 Less stressful than an exam
4 Work in depth on a subject
5 Work at my own pace
6 Motivates me
7 Helps learn curriculum step by step
8 Research skills
9 Selection of an area of special interest
10 Chance to earn higher grade
11 Relieves pressure in exams
12 Real life situation
13 Allows for re-draft
14 None
15 Other

VIEWS) CHART 10

1 Time consuming
2 Hard to meet deadlines
3 Too much coursework
4 Repetition of the same skills across different subjects
5 All due at the same time
6 Lack of organisational skills
7 Stress/Pressure
8 Not enough access to resources
9 Hard to work independently
10 Does not suit me
11 None
12 Other

“It allows students to work independently, develop research skills…confidence.”

“I think it's a little bit shame because the stopping having English coursework in English literature in GCSE from 2009 is a bit sad…”

Head of Science Department
“ What students learn from coursework is not much Science…The pace of learning is not always great when they are doing coursework.”

“No cheating is the big advantage of the new mode of coursework”

fairly positive
English is one of the most coursework intensive subject at GCSE level where coursework is mandatory
From September 2006 changes in Science coursework
Teachers` problems with coursework as a method of assessment
(authentication, external help, difficulties with controlled conditions)
More benefits of coursework for English teachers and students than for Science teachers and students
The biggest drawbacks for teachers are the burden of marking the coursework, additional time and workload
The main drawbacks for students are time consuming, hard to meet deadline, all coursework are due at the same time.

working on coursework in controlled conditions
No permission to visit Year 11 GCSE exams
Absence of clear future coursework arrangements in English
Teachers are too busy during school time
Limitation of time

Strengths
Opportunity to compare data with the data of National Research Study on teachers views on coursework (2006)
Opportunity to examine new coursework arrangements in Science
Opportunity to compare teachers attitudes towards coursework in different subjects

coursework arrangements in the course of 14-19 Reform
To compare research data with the data of the Research Study conducted for the QCA in 2006 on teachers` views on GCSE coursework


Implication
Contribution to enriching the knowledge base on the issue of coursework as a form of internal assessment in GCSE
Internal assessment of school-leavers in Russia.