Comparative Approaches to Secondary School Assessment: Insights from England and Flanders

Introduction

Assessment guides the trajectory a student will pursue throughout their academic years and determines the higher education opportunities and job prospects they can access after turning 18. In this paper, I will present the current arguments for an exclusively examination-based education prevalent in England and contrast it with the variety of assessment techniques employed in the Flanders region of Belgium.

The assessment system in use has far-reaching effects, influencing everything from the teaching methodologies employed to the external reputation of a specific school. This impact is particularly pronounced in south-east England with the Kent Test. Moreover, it connects to the diverse approaches to categorising and guiding students into various educational pathways according to their talents, as observed in different European countries. This narrative resonates with the old anecdote of judging a fish by its ability to climb a tree.

I will be exploring a few aspects of examination in this paper:

1. How do differences in secondary school examination formats and structures between England and Flanders impact student learning outcomes?
2. What are the perceptions of teachers and students towards the role of examinations in the secondary education experience, and how do attitudes vary towards standardised testing in the UK and Flanders?
3. To what extent do national examination policies influence teaching methodologies, curriculum, and subsequent academic preparedness in secondary schools in England and Flanders?

Methodology

In the context of my research question, I will be gathering information from groups of teachers and students in a remote school setting while also attempting to immerse myself in their classroom, even if via the medium of a video call session.

I will be approaching this research topic ethnographically. Due to the nature of conducting this research remotely over Teams, I will be taking the etic approach in this research as an outsider with brief opportunities to engage with the cultural circle of the school in the role of a teacher. However, as discussed by Darling (2016), "the concept of having either an exclusively etic or emic approach when conducting outsider research is paradoxical".

On the one hand, a solely etic approach would ignore the impact that the presence of a researcher has upon their surroundings, while a purely emic approach would have the researcher internalise thoughts and concepts but analyse them in terms of existing frameworks. I will be in a difficult space where I will be immersed in a virtual environment while distantly removed from the setting itself.

Literature review

From the introduction of the GCSE in 1986, it has undergone several significant iterative changes in the administration of the certification. In 2010, the GCSE became a 100% assessment-based qualification with no weighting placed upon coursework conducted in the classroom. Hinging success on a single examination of a student's retained knowledge is a double-edged sword. Focusing solely on single examination windows to gauge a student's retained knowledge presents two dilemmas. The move towards a fully exam-based assessment system sparked concerns about the potential impact on students' creativity and overall engagement with their subjects.

Research by Black & Williams (2018) discusses how coursework allowed students to explore topics in depth, fostering creativity and developing critical analytical skills. This echoed research conducted by Crisp and Green (2013) stating that "certain kinds of skills that are more difficult to assess in written tests, and thus less likely to be developed". However, in some of their research cases, it was argued that some schools' coursework implementations were becoming formulaic with too much structure from teachers, giving it less overall value. This approach by schools could have been an attempt to avoid accusations of bias by providing a standardised framework for students to build their coursework upon.

This is reinforced by Willingham's (2012) statement on Gove's examination culture where he states that "exams seldom call for the creative deployment of knowledge" but instead a "straightforward recall of knowledge". Although Willingham acknowledges his limited knowledge of the United Kingdom's education system and Michael Gove's policy planning, his observations remain relevant given the content of the English GCSE examination papers.

The rationale behind Michael Gove's implementation of this system is claimed to have originated from scientific evidence. Gove argued that an evaluation-based approach combined with the grading of coursework internally within schools could present issues of bias among teachers. Bias is still discussed to be an active issue in teacher assessment, a recent report by Newton (2021) on behalf of Ofqual still states that in 2021 there is still a risk of bias present, albeit in a limited sample size case. Even without coursework, teachers must still balance providing adequate support to students while avoiding the perception of unfairness.

Research by Willingham states that the process of examination, when delivered in conjunction with a varied scheme of work, should serve as a checkpoint for students to help identify gaps in their knowledge and improve in subsequent assessments, rather than focusing solely on the final examination and treating it as a high-stakes single assessment. Gove is quoted using the term "memorise" in place of Willingham's emphasis on wide knowledge development and not just the ability to recall data. (Willingham, 2012)

Willingham continues to discuss that teachers who are already teaching effectively should not notice any difference in their lesson content or delivery methodologies. While this may be true for core subjects, subjects like computing and humanities all compete for curriculum time. This is directly noted in both the Ofsted Reviews for Computing and Languages, where it is stated that adequate curriculum time is not provided to instruct students on the full required content. (Ofsted 2021 & 2022). Crisp and Green (2013) also comment on how the removal of coursework has put a lot more pressure and value on timetabled lessons, making absences from lessons more detrimental to a student's progress.

Considering these challenges, it is important to acknowledge how they shape a student's educational career. Academic progress holds significant value throughout, often with the aim of pursuing higher education. In England, 64% of students leaving sixth-form/college move on to studying a degree course at university (Gov.UK 2023), while in Flanders, 68% move on to higher education (Statistics Flanders, 2023). Despite the comparable percentages, the wider context reveals differences in the access and routes into higher education.

The wider access to university in Flanders through the Certificate of Secondary Education and per-person fee calculations suggest a more open approach to higher education participation. In contrast, the United Kingdom's varying entry requirements and higher fees pose barriers for some students to access higher education.

Furthermore, the curriculum focus in Flanders, particularly in ASO schools, emphasises theoretical learning and preparation for higher education (Onderwijs Brussels 2022). Unlike TSO and KSO institutions which offer "dual outcomes" objectives for learners, ASO schools focus solely on advancement towards higher education, directly shaping the curriculum to create students with the required tools and knowledge to effectively access university. Meanwhile, the education system in England does not feature a filtering system like that in Flanders. Our secondary school system could be compared more closely to the ASO schools in Flanders but without the option for students with strengths in other areas to pursue those talents.

While higher education uptake levels are similar, are students in England less well equipped for what lies before them academically?

In Flanders, the assessment system leans towards regular evaluation and emphasising lower-stakes exams that cover recently taught content. This approach is designed to provide ongoing feedback to students and teachers. By placing examination windows throughout the academic year, the Flemish system aims to reduce the stress and pressure commonly associated with high-stakes exams and provide teachers with a wider understanding of a student's performance over time.

On the other hand, the examination system in England is very traditional and relies heavily on high-stakes summative assessments which carry significant weight in determining a student's future educational pathway. As GCSEs and A-Level exams are only conducted at the end of KS4 and KS5 respectively, the infrequency of testing may lead to higher levels of anxiety and stress for students as they are required to demonstrate a wide breadth of knowledge recall under test conditions. Roome and Soan (2019) noted that a contributing factor experienced by students that contributed to their overall stress levels was the "feeling of their gaps in learning, either due to poor teaching or there being too much material to learn and revise". This resonates with the experiences of those questioned by Crisp and Green (2013).

The nature of these high-stakes exams can have a detrimental effect on students' motivation and well-being. Crisp and Green (2013) found that students in England reported feeling less motivated and confident following GCSE reform. The increased emphasis on final assessments may contribute to a culture of performance anxiety where students feel immense pressure to excel in a single high-stakes exam at the expense of their overall learning experience in the classroom.

Shifting towards final controlled assessments has also raised concerns about the allocation of teaching time. When interviewed by Crisp and Green (2013), teachers are more likely to feel compelled to prioritise exam preparation over a broader and balanced curriculum, counterproductively leading to a more narrow focus on the subject in a 'teaching to the test' approach.

I am mindful of the fact that the Crisp and Green research paper was written during an interim period in which teachers and schools were still restructuring content and adapting to the GCSE reforms, and that the initial opinions could be that of teachers and students experiencing stress from changes and pressure from governing bodies to effectively implement the new system. It is, however, an excellent source of interview statistics, with approximately two hundred responses per question. I feel that this research is still of relevance as the findings of Crisp and Green are still echoed by research conducted by Roome and Soan (2019).

Reflection

Through my literature review, I have had my initial opinions of the assessment system employed in England challenged. Initially, I felt that the core issue lay in the manner of assessment being summative examination papers and not a more holistic approach of coursework and teacher-led evaluations. However, my research has led me to realise that there is a need for a more structured testing process that distributes the weighting of assessments across a student's academic career rather than culminating in a single high-stakes examination.

While examining the current education system in England, it is clear that this is a system that could be integrated. Schools conduct end-of-term assessments to gather students' statistics throughout the year, but these assessments lack substantial weight beyond the confines of the school. They serve as a monitoring tool to gauge a student's progress towards the GCSE/A-Level exam, from which we as teachers can attempt to support students to fill in knowledge gaps. If these assessments could be used as part of a final grade, it would help to reduce the levels of pressure experienced in a single final examination, resulting in improved performance (Seipp 1991).

Conclusion

The assessment systems of England and Flanders play significant roles in shaping students' academic pathways and career opportunities. As explored in this literature review, these systems have far-reaching effects, influencing teaching methodologies, curriculum design and a student's overall learning experience. The differences between the examination-based approach in England and more varied techniques used in Flanders highlight a need for a more structured testing process that distributes the weight of assessment across a student's academic career.

Both systems aim to measure a student's knowledge and skills, but the emphasis on high-stakes exams in England may contribute to heightened levels of stress and anxiety, as well as a narrower focus on exam preparation in the classroom. The Flemish approach of regular evaluation by teaching staff fosters a lower-pressure learning environment and offers students more opportunities to demonstrate their wider subject understanding.

It becomes evident that a holistic approach to assessment, combining both formative and summative elements, holds the potential to better support student learning and well-being while still effectively assessing their knowledge and understanding.

Reference list

Crisp, V. and Green, S. (2013). Teacher Views on the Effects of the Change from Coursework to Controlled Assessment in GCSEs. Educational Research and Evaluation, [online] 19(8), pp.680–699. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2013.840244.

Darling, F. (2016). Outsider Indigenous Research: Dancing the Tightrope between Etic and Emic Perspectives. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, [online] 17(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-17.3.2538.

Gov.uk (2023). Progression to Higher Education or training, Academic Year 2019/20. [online] explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk. Available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/progression-to-higher-education-or-training [Accessed 20 Mar. 2024].

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Ofsted (2021). Research Review Series: Languages. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-research-review-series-languages/curriculum-research-review-series-languages#culture [Accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

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Roome, T. and Soan, C.A. (2019). GCSE Exam stress: Student Perceptions of the Effects on Wellbeing and Performance. Pastoral Care in Education, [online] 37(4), pp.297–315. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/02643944.2019.1665091?needAccess=true [Accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Seipp, B. (1991). Anxiety and Academic performance: a meta-analysis of Findings. Anxiety Research, 4(1), pp.27–41. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/08917779108248762.

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Willingham, D. (2012). Did Michael Gove Get the Science Right? [online] Daniel Willingham--Science & Education. Available at: http://www.danielwillingham.com/daniel-willingham-science-and-education-blog/did-michael-gove-get-the-science-right [Accessed 9 Mar. 2024].