More teachers concerned by quality of A level marking
Support for A-levels remains high among teachers and students. A rising number of teachers are worried about the quality of A-level marking, a report by England's exams watchdog suggests.
More than a third of 298 A-level teachers surveyed (37%) said marking of the exam had worsened over the last two years, compared with 28% in 2008. But perceptions of A-levels and GCSEs remained largely positive, Ofqual said. However, just one in six teachers asked said they had confidence in the new Diploma qualification. Ofqual said the findings showed them there was "more work to do".
The annual survey of teachers of GCSE/AS and A-levels at 500 schools and colleges as well as 400 parents and children and almost 1,800 members of the public looked at perceptions of GCSEs, A-levels and Diplomas following the 2009 exams. There has been a fall in the number of teachers who say they have no concerns with A-levels - down 10 percentage points to 28% of those who were questioned.
Despite the fact that well over two-thirds of teachers have confidence in the accuracy and quality of the marking of A-level papers, the question mark from a significant minority on this issue is worrying Christine Blower, NUT But the survey said the majority of teachers surveyed - 72% - had confidence in the accuracy and quality of the marking of A-level papers. Around seven in 10 A-level teachers who responded to the survey agreed most students worked hard, but less than a third thought they worked harder today than ever before. Support for A-levels remains high among teachers and students, with 94% of teachers and 93% of students agreeing the exam is an important qualification for people to obtain.
Parents positive
The survey suggests the majority of all audiences believe most students taking A-levels get the grades their performance deserves. Confidence in the GCSE system overall remains high and unchanged from 2008 and students continue to believe the GCSE is an important qualification to obtain, according to the report. Three-quarters of GCSE teachers agreed they had confidence in the system. But this was in contrast with their verdict on Diplomas - the new qualification designed to bridge the gap between academic and work-related training. Only 16% of teachers who responded said they had confidence in the Diploma system. But a greater proportion - about six in 10 - said they thought the Diploma would help students in to work and increase the number of young people staying in education and training after the age of 16. Parents of children who were currently studying or thinking about studying for the Diploma were more positive, with more than half saying it was an important qualification. T
he report says: "Confidence in the Diploma system is relatively low with just 16% of teachers agreeing that they have confidence in the new qualification and is significantly lower than for GCSEs or A-levels." Gap in perception Kathleen Tattersall, chairwoman of Ofqual, said: "I am pleased to see that people's perceptions of A-levels and GCSE remains positive. "The survey also shows us that there is more work to do, and we are not complacent. "We will continue to work with the awarding organisations to ensure they have the systems in place to continue to deliver high-quality qualifications and that the awarding process is as accurate as it can be, ensuring learners get the grades their work deserves."
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said: "Despite the fact that well over two-thirds of teachers have confidence in the accuracy and quality of the marking of A-level papers, the question mark from a significant minority on this issue is worrying. "I would urge Ofqual to dig further into the reasons for these concerns." Schools minister Vernon Coaker said the survey was "largely positive". "These are robust qualifications taken by hundreds of thousands of pupils every year. "However, there is a perception gap with those on the frontline teaching or studying GCSEs and A-levels overwhelmingly believing them to be tough, fair and robust qualifications, but the general public being slightly less supportive. "This suggests a gap between what is reported and heard by the public and what is actually happening in schools." Interviews were conducted by Ipsos MORI between November and December last year.
Source: BBC News
19th Mar 2010
