Concerns over the teacher workload implications of exam reform have come to the fore in consultation for the Hayward review of qualifications and assessment.
The final stage of consultation for Hayward closes on Sunday 30 April, but this week a report has been published on consultation that took place between October 2022 and January 2023.
It finds that, while there is widespread support for reform of qualifications and assessment, many fear the proposed changes could become an unreasonably heavy burden for teachers.
The report also shows that, while there is consensus about the need for reform, there is a wide spectrum of views over what that would entail, from tinkering with the current system to the abolition of exams.
And while there is “clear backing” for approaches that allow students to demonstrate their full range of skills, experience and achievements, there are also warnings that this carries a danger of widening a gap between rich and poor rather than narrowing it.
Some 708 responses were gathered in the Hayward review consultation analysis report. There was “clear support for the reform of Scotland’s qualifications and assessment system”, but “views about how the system should look in the future varied”.
The report states that a “potential negative impact on teachers’ workload was the most common recurring theme”.
While there is a “clear preference among many” for coursework and continuous assessment rather than formal, high-stakes end-of-year exams, many potential difficulties were identified: “Several warned there is a lack of time and resources available for teachers if they are expected to support information gathering alongside their already heavy workload, while some identified challenges in collecting this information consistently and objectively across different schools.”
Respondents often felt proposals for change were “unrealistic given the current workload and curricular demands”. Others called for teachers to be given extra time and support to implement proposals such as the recording of learners’ achievements outside school, or if they have to play a greater role in assessing students’ work.
While there was “consensus in favour” of the idea for a school leaver’s certificate that captures a wider range of learning, there were some disadvantages of this proposal, including “added time pressure on school staff if they were expected to compile evidence for the certificate”.
Despite strong workload concerns, responses were “strongly in favour” of a system that “upholds the rights of all learners to demonstrate their achievements”. The report states: “Most notably, many respondents felt that flexible teaching and assessment approaches, tailored to individual needs, would better satisfy different learning needs and styles among all learners. Another suggestion was to enable learners to select different forms of assessment based on their preferences.”
The 708 responses - including “5,500 open-ended comments” - comprised 526 responses from individuals and 182 from various organisations, including “many schools”. Notes from 22 group discussions were also reflected.
After teacher workload, the second-most common concern was that “gathering information on achievements outside school and college could discriminate against those who cannot easily access extracurricular opportunities”. Various reasons for this were cited, including “cost, time limitations, parental support, local availability, health issues and caring responsibilities”.
One individual said: “Many families will not have the funds that allow them to participate in activities that more affluent peers have. There is a danger that inequality will be accentuated and entrenched.”
While reform is widely supported, there was “no clear consensus” about what a new “better balanced” system of assessment would look like.
The report states: “There was debate over the role of external exams, with many favouring a mixture of continuous assessments or smaller, more regular tests and external exams. Many requested eliminating end-of-year exams entirely, regardless of whether they are internally or externally assessed; however, some others supported the current exam structure. There were also differences in opinion regarding the relative merits of internal and external assessment, with several calling for a combination of the two.”
There has been much debate in Scotland and beyond in recent months on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on assessment, as tools such as ChatGTP rapidly become more sophisticated.
This issue is addressed only briefly in the report, within a section on technology listing potential problems identified by consultation respondents, including: “The potential for learners to cheat in online exams by, for example, plagiarising online material, using AI to create answers for them, hackers obtaining and passing on information about the content of exams, or someone else completing the exam on behalf of a learner.”
There was “no clear consensus” on introducing an achievement award or qualification at the end of the broad general education (BGE) that takes students up to the end of the third year of secondary school.
“Several respondents felt this could incentivise more focus among BGE learners and noted this would give every learner evidence of their skills, which could be especially beneficial for those likely to gain fewer academic qualifications,” the report states.
“On the other hand, several respondents pointed to the pressure this proposal could put on teachers to achieve attainment targets in the BGE, particularly if results are compared with other schools. Some also mentioned a lack of time and resources among teachers and the strain that being assessed could put on learners’ mental health.”
The report’s conclusion states: “While there is broad support for reform, the nuance in respondents’ perspectives means it is unlikely the proposals will fully satisfy all stakeholders.”
