Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) arose from a government drive to increase the amount of teacher-based assessment within school and to make this consistent across schools. We conducted ...semi-structured interviews with head teachers to gain insight into how their schools applied APP and we compared the APP levels for English and Maths, provided by teachers across 11 schools for 72 pupils, to a standardised assessment (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-II; WIAT). There was a strong correlation between the APP and WIAT for literacy but not for numeracy. Head teacher interviews revealed that APP is used differently across schools and at times is used in a way inconsistent with government guidance, which raises the question of how teacher assessments are used and their purpose. Questions that should be considered are; how is moderation used in schools, what is the function(s) of teacher assessments and what is good practice in relation to these assessments? Clarity about the function of assessments is of vital importance as is ensuring that assessments are meaningful to teachers, pupils, families and schools, especially in light of the weight that can be placed on teacher assessments for all these groups.
Purpose
The study was based around the following three research questions: What factors affect teacher well-being and mental health? How does teacher well-being and mental health impact on the ...progress of students? What resilience strategies are used by highly effective teachers with poor mental health to ensure that their students thrive? The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The research study was qualitative in nature and involved ten primary schools in England. Teachers and head teachers were interviewed. Each school visit also included a pupil discussion group with children from Years 3. In total, the research team interviewed 35 education professionals and 64 pupils.
Findings
Teachers reported a number of work-related stress triggers including busy times of the year, such as assessment periods, the pressure of extra curricula activities, the unexpected, keeping up with the pace of change and changes in school leadership. Children were attuned to their teacher’s mood and could usually pick up when they were feeling stressed, even if teachers tried to hide it.
Originality/value
No studies have used pupil voice to explore pupil perspectives of the impact of teacher mental health on their learning and progress. This is the first study of its kind.
•On average, pupils over-estimated their maths and English GCSE grades by 0.25 and 0.37 grades respectively.•There is a positive relationship between optimism and subsequent grades.•Each extra grade ...expected predicts about 1/3 grade higher average performance.•Pupils intending to go to university were more optimistic in their expectations.
This paper examines the relationship between pupils’ expectations of their grades in public examinations at age 16 in England and their actual grades. We define optimism as the difference between grades expected by pupils and grades predicted by pupils’ prior attainment and background. We define accuracy as the difference between pupils’ grade expectations and the actual grades achieved. Using data from 5507 pupils and 50 schools, we find that more optimistic expectations are associated with higher value-added, even where expectations far exceed statistical predictions and actual grades. Each extra grade expected predicts average higher value-added of about a third of a grade. We also examine the correlates of pupil optimism and expectation accuracy, finding some evidence for school effects.
A critical aspect of the new Education Law of Romania is assessment of students progress and the fact that this law requires that teachers should be paid in relation to student’ progress. Our study ...is focused on the teachers' perception regarding the monitoring instruments of pupils' school progress. Analyze was made from two perspectives: 1) content analysis of instruments and 2) difficulties of application. The qualitative research instrument chosen to carry out the research was focus group. There were conceived two types of instruments: pupil's educational plan and self assessment sheets for teachers and pupil.
This article is based on a case study carried out in a small inner-city primary
school in the English south midlands. The key determinant of the research was to
examine the factors affecting the ...progress of children in the school, assess the
school's response and to make recommendations that would enhance good
practice and undertake responsibilities under the Race Relations Act (2000). The
focal point was children for whom English is an additional language (EAL). This
article considers the relevance of such a study in gathering the views of EAL and
minority ethnic parents, carers and professionals and how far it could be utilized
by any school as part of a regular check to determine how well it is providing for
their children.
The analysis considers two key questions relating to pupil progress. First, whether the 'route' or pattern of 'steps' a pupil takes between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 matters in terms of their ...performance in the Key Stage 2 assessments. Secondly, whether such progress is influenced by the primary school a pupil attends. The research draws on a unique data-set with data on the performance of over 3000 pupils in over 300 primary schools at Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, and in optional tests at the end of Years 3, 4, and 5. The analysis identifies four broad patterns of pupil progress between the two key stages-equal-sized, increasing or decreasing, and variable steps. Pupils taking the 'equal-sized' route made most progress in terms of Reading, but the differences between this route and the least successful one were comparatively modest, amounting to not more than 3 months progress. In Maths, by contrast, the differences were more substantial with pupils on the 'decreasing' steps route making most progress and those on the 'increasing' steps route lagging increasingly behind, eventually by around half a level. The research confirmed, in line with previous studies, that the primary school attended was a substantial influence on pupil progress. Multi-level modelling suggested that some schools were boosting pupil progress by as much as half a level (roughly 1 year of nominal progress) in comparison with others. However, when schools were characterized according to the main 'routes' their pupils had taken, the differences between routes were neither substantively nor statistically significant. Additionally, it was found that primary schools varied quite substantially in terms of their relative 'effectiveness' from one cohort to the next and the main routes their pupils took between the two Key Stage assessments.
PDF
