A level assessment of composing
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MusicAlevelAssessmentofComposing–ResearchintoteacherattitudesKirstyDevaneyandMartinFautleyBirminghamCityUniversityExecutiveSummaryThispaperreportsonanddiscussestheresultsofanationwidesurveyofsecondaryschoolmusicteachers’experiencesintheassessmentofcomposinginUKA‐levelmusicexaminations.DatawerecollectedthroughanonlinesurveyinMay2015and9follow‐uptelephoneinterviews.Thenationwidesurveygarnered71responsesfromteacherswithexperienceofA‐levelmusicexamsacrossavarietyofstateandindependentschoolcontexts.Thispaperreportsthatthemajorityofmusicteachershaveexperiencedinconsistentexternalexaminationmarking,and,asaconsequence,donotfeelconfidenttoaccuratelypredictstudentgrades.Italsofoundthatteachersfeelexternalexaminationassessmentrequirementsarenotclear,andthatmanyschoolssendcompositionsbackforremarkingafterresultsarein.Follow‐upinterviewsaffirmthatinconsistentmarkinghasadirectimpactonhowcomposingistaughtatA‐level.Secondaryschoolmusicteachersfaceincreasingpressuretofulfilrequirementssetbyexaminationcriteria,butalsowishtogivetheirstudentsafulfillingcreativemusicalexperience.PastexaminersofA‐levelcompositionwhorespondedtothesurveyreportedalackofconfidenceinthesystemandtheirtraining.TheresultsbringintoquestionthesubjectivityofassessmentinthisaspectofthemusicexaminationandtheplaceofcomposingandcreativityinA‐levelassessment.Theseresultscomeatatimewhengovernmentalfocuson‘rigorousanddemanding’examinationsinthearts,andtheintroductionoftheEBacc,areputtinganincreasedstrainonclassroommusicteachers.SurveyandDiscussionThesurveybeganbyaskingthequestion“HaveyoueverbeensurprisedbyanexaminationgradeforanyofyourpupilsforcompositionatASorALevel?”.Theresultsarequiteoverwhelming:Figure1:
Over90%ofrespondingteacherssaythatthishasbeenthecase.Inassessmenttermsthisdoesbegquestionsastoissuesofvalidity,and,importantly,reliabilityofthisassessment.Teachersweregivenafree‐textopportunitytoexpandonanysurprisesthattheyhadwithA‐levelcomposinggrades.The‘top10’resultsofthisareshowninfigure2.
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Figure2
Anumberofthecommentsmadebyteachersherearemostrevealing.Hereisarepresentativeselection:
“Individualvoiceamongstthebeststudentsseemstogounrecognised.Examinersareconfidentdealingwithamixtureofthebanalandpastiche.”
“Ihavehadasurpriseonseveraloccasions.ThemostmemorableareaveryweakstudentwhocomposedaveryformulaicpiecegettinganAwithanestimateofahopefulD.ThesameyearanoutstandingandinnovativecompositionfromastudentwhohadwonnationalyouthcompositionawardsgotaD.”
“Everyyearthereisalackofconsistency.Weneverknowwherewestand”
“3compositionsweresubmittedforASfrom3students.2IexpectedtogainnearfullmarksandonearoundaC.OnegainedaC,oneanEandoneaU.AsatrainedcomposerIfeelIreallyunderstandthisareaofthecoursewellandcouldnotcomprehendthegrading.”
“MarkwassignificantlylowerthanIhadexpected.Thestudent,Ifelt,hadrealflairandtalentincomposition,andthiswasnotrecognised.Ihadtheworkremarked,andthemarkwentupsignificantly.”
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Remarkedsubmissionshaddifferentgrades
Teacherbelievethatexamfavouredcertaingenresorstylesofmusic
Teachersfoundmarkschemedifficulttointerpret
Teachersdidnotfeeltherewasintercohortstandardisation
Resultinggradehigherthanexpected
Candidatesgradesweresignificantlydifferentfromexpectations
Gradesdidnotseemtocorrelatewithstudentability
Creativemusicresponsesoftenscoredlowerthanpastiche
Commentsthatgradesweretoolowtoohigh
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“Originalityandcompetenceseemedtogainfewmarks‐itseemsthatpastichecomposingagainstasetoftickboxesisrequired.”
TeacherconfidenceinpredictingexaminationgradesTeacherswereaskednexttorespondtothis“PleaseratehowstronglyyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatementsaboutassessmentatASand/orALevelcomposing”.Thesearetheresults:Iamconfidentatbeingabletoaccuratelypredictthegradesmypupilswillget:Figure3:
Whatthisshowsisthatisthat59.2%ofteacherseitherdisagreeorstronglydisagreewiththisstatement.Thisisaworryinglylargenumber,aspredictingA‐levelgradesuccessisanimportantpartofhelpingyoungpeoplewiththeexaminationpreparation.Thispointwasmadebyateacherinafreetextcomment:
Itistheleast"predictable"areaoftheA‐levelcourses.Whilstthe"middle"‐levelsubmissionsgetgradesconsistentwithpredictions,the"extremes"oftenthrowupsomeextraordinaryresults‐noneofwhichgivecluesaboutwhatcriteria(if,indeed,thereareany)theassessorsareusing.Itfrequentlyseemsarbitraryandbasedonthepassingwhimsyofthemoment.
Thenextstatementforteacherstorespondtowas“Resultsfromexaminationboardsareconsistent”.Herearetheirreplies:Figure4
Onceagainalargenumberofteachersdisagreewiththis,with74.7%reportingthatthiswasthecaseforthem.Thisisanotherdisturbingstatistic.Thecostsofexaminationentryarehigh,andteachersnothavingconfidenceinthe
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consistency–orlackthereof–inexaminationmusicisworrying.Onceagainthisstatementisamplifiedbywhatteachershadtosayintheirfreetextresponses:
Ihavedonetrainingeveryyeartotrytobettermyskillatknowingwhatisbeingaskedfor,but10yearsinandIstillgetitwrong.Ifeelsorryforthestudentsandgivethemcautiousexpectedoutcomes,butdon'twanttogettheirhopesuptoomuch.It'smymostcontentiousissueinmusicexamteaching.Idounderstandhowitishardtobesubjectiveinmarkingcreativework,butthecriteriaarewoolly.
Soveryvariable.StudentwhoshouldhavegotaanAforcomposingandisnowstudyingmusicatOxfordwherehegotafirstlastyearforhiscompositionworkgotaDwhereamuchweakerstudentgotaB.Seemstobenoconsistencyonhowthemarkschemeisappliedbyexaminers.Whattheexamboardsayatcompositionmeetingsandcoursesdoesnottallywiththerealgradesthatcompositionsaremarkedat.Itisverydifficulttoguaranteethatastudentwillbemarkedconsistentlyandfairly.
Thenextstatementthattheparticipatingteacherswereinvitedtorespondtowasthis:“Theassessmentrequirementsareclearanditiseasytounderstandwhatisrequiredofthestudent”.Herearetheirreplies:Figure5:
Onceagainaworryinglyhighlevelofresponsesdonotagreewiththisstatement,with66.2%ofteacherssayingthatthiswasthecaseforthem.Interestinglytherewerenoteacherswho‘stronglyagreed’withthisstatement!Onceagaintheteacherswereunequivocalintheirfreetextresponses:
Iwouldlikemorespecificassessmentcriteriathataren’t‘wishy‐washy’.Theassessmentcriteriaandthemarkingcriteriaarewaytoovaguetobeaconstructivetoolinthecompositionprocess,forboththeteacherandthestudent.Thecriteriaarewaytooambiguousandneedtobeconsiderablymoredetailedand/orstructured‐morequantitativeguidelines/targets,asatthemomentitisvirtuallyallqualitative.
RemarkingofAlevelworkWehavealreadycommentedonthecostofA‐levelexaminationentries.Forthoseteachersandschoolsnothappywiththeresultstheirstudentsget,having
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workremarkedisanoption,butonethatcomesatacost.Inthissurveytheteacherswereaskedthequestion“Howoftendoyouqueryanexaminationmarkand/oraskforre‐markingofASand/orALevelcompositions”.Herearetheresults:Figure6:
The‘other’responsesincludenewteachers,thosewhoseworkwasineligibleforremarking,andthosewheretherewerefinancialconstraintsthatpreventedit.Whattheseresultsshowisaconsistentpatternofregardingcomposingwork,with73.2%ofteacherssayingthatinthepastfewyearstheyhaveaskedforatleastonepieceofcomposingworktoberemarked.Thisisanothersignificantfigure,andonewhichraisesmanyconcernsagainwithregardtothevalidityofexaminationcomposingassessment.Thiscommentinthefreetextresponsesfromaformerexaminerisparticularlyworryinginthisrespect:
Musiccourseworkisnotremarkedblind,thereforerequestingremarksisnotalwaysproductiveasthereisatendencyforthemtocoveroneanother’sbacks.IknowthisfirsthandasIusedtobeanexaminer,butlackedfaithinthesystem/educationofcompositiontheyarepromoting.
Thisisnotanisolatedinstance,hereareanotherformerexaminer’scomments:
IhavebeenanexaminerforA2compositioninthepastandhaveseenfirsthandhowpiecescangetwildlydifferentmarksfromdifferentpeople.Marksdonotseemtobeconsistent.I'vehadfantasticstudentsgettinghighfaresineveryotherunitandthengettingU’sforcomposing.MarkschemesfortheboardIteachareveryvague,andalthoughtherearedifferentoptions,themarkschemeisthesameforeachone.Notenoughexamplesgivenouttoteacherswithreasonswhytheyattractcertainmarks.
Andyetanotherformerexaminersaidthis:
IhaveexaminedASandA2compositionandamawareoftheheatedargumentsandcompletedisparitybetweenexaminersatstandardisation
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meetings.IhaveattendedINSETthisyearandwasabsolutelyspotonwiththecourseleaderwithmyassessments(otherteacherswerenot).HoweverIhavenofaithinmyjudgementsbeingaccuratelyreflectedonresultsday.
CommentaryWhatthisverybriefoverviewofteacherattitudestowardsA‐levelcomposingassessmentshowsisthatthereisagreatdealofdisquietinthesystem.Teachersreportedthattheyhavelittleconfidenceinthesystem,thattheyfeelthatgradingisnotconsistentorreliable,andthatA‐levelcomposingresultscanbesomethingofalottery.Ourrecommendationsarethatteachersseemtoneedhelpandreassuranceinanumberofspecificareas.Theseare:
Havinggreateraccesstoexemplarmaterials,withfullannotationsastowhat,how,andwhygradesareawarded
Teachersfeelthattheywouldbenefitfromspecificandconstructivefeedbackonstudentworkwhichhasbeensubmittedforre‐marking
Teachersrequestspecificandbetter‐focussedtrainingonboththeteachingandassessmentofcomposingatA‐level.
TeachersreportthattheyfeeltheycanmarkaccuratelyatGCSElevel,andthatGCSEseemsmuchmoreconsistentasaconsequence.TheywonderiftherearewaysinwhichbestpracticefromGCSEcouldbeappliedatA‐level
Althoughassessmentcriteriaexist,someteachersdonotfeeltheseareinterpreteduniformly,andthattherearebothinter‐cohortandintra‐cohortinconsistencies.
Someteachersfeelthatthereisthepossibilityofalackofunderstandingofsomestylesandgenresofmusicbytheexaminationboard,andthatthiscouldundulypenalisesomeoftheircandidates.
Weareconcernedthatthevagariesofexaminationcomposingwehavedescribedherearesuchthatforsometeachers,giventhechoice,theywouldnotentercandidatesforthiscomponent,thusremovingcomposingasataughtandlearnedactivityinschoolsatthislevel.GiventheamountofmoneythatthecreativeindustriesearnfortheUK,closingofftheopportunitiesforcreativecomposingatthisstageintheeducationofayoungpersonseemstobeashame.WhatwehavedocumentedhereisclearlyasmallbutrepresentativesampleofA‐levelmusicteachers.Weknowthatatpresentonly1%ofA‐levelentriesareformusic,andwewouldbesaddenedifthisnumberweretofallmuchfurther.ThiswouldalsoplaceA‐levelmusicatriskinschoolsandcollegeswheregroupsizesbecametoosmall.Whilsttherearesignificantconcernsinthisreport,wehopethatallstakeholderswillfindtheseresultsandourcommentarytobeofuse.