ESRC/TLRP FINAL REPORT: RES-139-25-0163NOMINATED OUTPUT 2
Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning (CPAL)[1]
CCEA conference: Assessment for Learning
Keynote presentation
12th January 2006
Chimney Corner Hotel
Co Antrim
Ruth Leitch
on behalf of
Laura Lundy, Peter Clough, John Gardner, Stephanie Mitchell
and Despina Galanouli
School of Education
Queen’s University Belfast
Introduction
On behalf of my research colleagues at Queen’s University, I would like to extend a very warm thank you to CCEA for this invitation to open the annual conference and day of celebration on Assessment for Learning. It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to talk to you today - to such a large audience of teachers from across Northern Ireland gathered here for this day of celebration – about our CPAL project.
I aim to do three things in this morning’s presentation:
firstly, to outline (and inform you about) the Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning (CPAL) research project, which centres on pupil participation in assessment processes, and,through this, to communicatethe valuable role that partnership with CCEA, the ELBs, schools and teachers is playing in this research;
secondly, to share with you some existing conceptualideas and questions that underpin this project, and in particular to explore children’s rights in the context of learning and assessment and to raise some discussion on this core theme;
thirdly, to present some preliminary data arising from the CPAL study, including some views from primary, post-primary and head teachers in Northern Ireland on their experience of and perspectives on Assessment for Learning (AfL) in schools and classrooms and how these relate to pupil consultation – some of the strengths, fears, hopes and motives associated with this development and the increased role AfLis perceived to give to pupils.
Overview of CPAL study
CPALis an eighteen month, small-scale research project supported by the Economic and Social Research Council/ Teaching and Learning Research Programme (ESRC/TLRP). The projectstarted in June 2005 and will finish in December of this year (2006)[2]. The core research team comprises colleagues based at the School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast and a wider research team.
With its focus on pupil rights specifically in relation to assessment issues presently on theNorthern Ireland policy agenda, the project has been developed in collaboration with Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and the education and library boards(ELBs). Indicative of this fact, members of these two bodiesattended the CPAL launch at Queen’s in early September and the CPAL advisory board has representatives from each body.
CPAL Aims
CPALhas been designed around the twin aims of:
•focusing on pupil participation in assessment as an extension to the work on teaching and learning;
•to consider the issue of pupil consultation through the lens of children’s rights using a model of ‘pupil voice’;
(i) pupil participation in assessment.
In this respect, CPAL is an extension to the research on consulting pupilsundertaken in England and Walesby Professor Jean Rudduck and her team at the University of Cambridge. This research(Rudduck et al, 2003) demonstrated significant evidence for the educational benefits of engaging pupils about teaching and learning. Primarily, their work on pupil voice has indicated enhanced commitment by pupils to their schooling, improved pupil self-esteem and transformation of teacher-pupil relationships (from passive or oppositional to more active and collaborative). CPAL’s unique contribution, then, will be to focus on the importance of pupil participation in assessment and particularly, assessment for learning – an area where there has been, to date, relatively little research (Duffield et al., 2000).
(ii) pupil consultation through the lens of children’s rights.
Through the CPAL project, we are using an emergent model of pupil rights based on a legal unpacking of Article 12 of the UNCRC, developed by Laura Lundy (Lundy, 2005), one of our team, to examine the experiences of pupils in two assessment initiatives currently being introduced in Northern Ireland and with which you are all already familiar.
Locating the CPAL study on the assessment policy agenda for Northern Ireland
From the outset, the CPAL team have been concerned that the research project and its outcomes would be practical and located within the real-world of educational developments in Northern Ireland. As many of you are all too well aware, Northern Ireland’s educational landscape is undergoing a radical review of its curriculum and assessment processes (CCEA, 2004/5: Revised NI Curriculum). Central to this revision, CCEA isintroducing Assessment for Learning (AfL) at the core of its learning and teaching strategy for primary and post-primary schooling in Northern Ireland. (Such developments,as we know, are also mirroredin national strategies elsewhere in the United Kingdom and further afield).Within this general framework of AfL, the issue of transfer arrangements for children at age eleven has been problematic (forgive the litotes!) and, in anticipation of change, there has beena move by CCEA to the trialling of an annual Pupil Profile as a mechanism to guide choice. The Pupil Profile will involve teachers assessing pupils’ progress and achievements and will be used to inform and support decisions about a pupil’s time at school.
The CPAL project, then, been constructed around these two major assessment initiatives - Pupil Profiles and Assessment for Learning (AfL) - with an underpinning study on teachers’ and parental perspectives on Assessment for Learning.
The study itself
Thus, CPAL comprises three independent but interrelated studies, each of which has a particular focus on children’s rights and pupil participation in relation to assessment:
Figure 1: CPAL’s three interrelated studies.
In order to paint a picture of the overall CPAL project, let me briefly outline the main activities of each of the three studies:
Study 1: Specifically engages pupils’ views on the development of the Pupil Profile at Key stage 2.
To date, in Northern Ireland, the Pupil Profile has been piloted in a number of schools and research has already been conducted by CCEA into parents’ views on the content and operation of the Pupil Profile.
The aims of CPAL Study One are to consult Key Stage 2 pupils directly on:
(i)what they think of the concept of a Pupil Profile as a way of assessing their development and progress; and what they consider should or should not be included in such a profile;
(ii)how they think their own views, ideas, self-assessments and experiences might best be incorporated into a Pupil Profile and to feed this information back to CCEA.
Study 2: Engages and consults pupils on Assessment for Learning at Key Stage 3
In this study we:
(i) consult KS3 pupils on their experiences and views of assessment in Assessment for Learning (‘AfL’) designated classrooms;
(ii)by agreement, observe AfL classroom practices in order to investigate whether or notthe dynamics of AfL pedagogyincreases the opportunities for pupils to participate more fully in their learning or not.
Study 3 Identifying teachers’ and parents’ perspectives on AfL
The success of both of the above initiatives (Pupil Profiles and AfL) and their potential role for increased participation by pupils, however, will be based not just on the introduction of the artifacts (the profiles) or the pedagogical techniques (WILF/WALT, success criteria etc) but will, in large measure, be responsive to the ways in which these are mediated by ‘real teachers’- and responded to and supported (or not) by ‘real parents’. Thus, teachers’ and parents’ beliefs and expectations, we believe, will have a significant role to play in how these assessment initiatives become embedded in practice. This is already borne out in research evidence elsewhere. For example, Mary James in her Learning How to Learn project asserts from evidence in practice that if:
‘beliefs are important – as a foundation for practice…,as inherent in practice and as an outcome of practice … – then it is important to pay attention to them.’
(James et al. 2005: 3)
Thus, in this element of the project, we are intent on:
(i) evaluating the role of teachers’ beliefs, values, hopes and fears generally and the role ofour key ‘AfL’ teachers’ autobiographies (in study 2) in helping or hindering their implementation of classroom strategies for engaging pupils in AfL and assuring children their rights;
(ii)identifying parental views and perspectives on their children’s emergent views of their experiences of AfL classroom practice.
I will now turn to two of the key underpinning issuesthat are at the heart of the CPAL project and that we anticipate unravelling. These are:
(i) Children’s Rights and the notion that ‘pupil voice’ or ‘giving pupils a say’is a necessary but not sufficient condition in schooling for the realisation of children’s rights - voice is not enough, and,
(ii) AfL and pupil participation: although AfL ideology has pupil participation at its heart, there remains the question of how it relates in practice to the assurance of children’s rights.
(i) Children’s Rights’ Perspective – ‘Voice is not enough’
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) adopted by the United Nations in 1989 came into force in 1990. It is the most highly ratified instrument in international law, with the United States isolated as the principal dissenter from its widely accepted standards in children’s rights. The most relevant children’s rights provision of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is Article 12, a right which is referred to often by policy makers and academics but which is rarely cited in its entirety. The full text of Article 12(1) reads as follows:
‘States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child’.
Article 12 is frequently referred to in the context of “the voice of the child”, “pupil voice” or the right to “participate” or be “consulted”. While these provide a convenient shorthand which helps to avoid the use of Article 12’s long-winded and somewhat awkward construction, each has the potential to diminish its impact as they convey an imperfect summary of what it requires. In view of this, the CPAL team is employing a new model which has been designed as a user-friendly but legally sound framework for capturing the true extent of the United Kingdom’s obligations to children in terms of educational decision-making (Lundy, 2005). The model unpacks the twin dimensions of Article 12:
(i)the right for children to express views, and
(ii)the right to have those views heard and given due weight.
This conceptualisation provides a new means of communicating the legal and human rights imperative in Article 12 of the UNCRC by requiring consideration of four separate factors: Space, Voice, Audience and Influence. The model, which is intended to focus decision-makers on the distinct, albeit interrelated, elements of the provision, has been conceptualised as follows:
Figure 2: Conceptualising Article 12 of the UNCRC (Lundy 2005).
The four elements have a rational chronological order:
- SPACE: Children must be given the opportunity to express a view
- VOICE: Children must be facilitated to express their views
- AUDIENCE: The view must be listened to.
INFLUENCE: The view must be acted upon, as appropriate.
The model is intended to be used minimally in three ways:
(a) to inform understanding
(b) to guide policy development and
(c) to audit existing practice.
Each of these elements will be exploredwithin the three studies that comprise the CPAL project. In addition, the framework has been used to underpin and inform the research design. The question that intrigues is how useful will this model of children’s rights (space, voice, audience and influence) be in the desire to make sense of the nature of pupil participation and consultation in the classroom and the potential for these to be enhanced by (i) the proposed Pupil Profile and (ii) what is to be offered through AfL classrooms. Moving to this latter issue:
(ii) Assessment for Learning (AfL) and Children’s Rights (Participation)
Assessment for Learning is a pedagogical approach, emphasizing the crucial role of formative assessment in the learning process based on ‘what good teachers do’ already. It is specifically defined as:
‘ … the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers, to identify where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.’
(Assessment Reform Group, 2002).
In this sense, it is ‘assessment (that) can support learning as well as measure it’ (Black & Wiliam, 2003: 623).
Assessment for Learning, then, is described as a way of planning activities in lessons so that both the teacher and the pupils know what they are learning and how well they are learning it. It is characterised by teachers and pupils both being clear about the purposes of the learning and the expected outcomes. Teachers in AfL classrooms use such processes as effective feedback, clear learning intentions, quality questioning, dynamic group work and self- and peer-assessment, but AfL is not embodied in any one of these.
As a result of these types of what might be described as pupil-centred learning processes, AfL claims evidence for
(i)Improved learning and standards (Black & Wiliam, 1998)
(ii)Improved self-esteem for pupils.(Harlen, 2005).
What is of specific interest to CPAL is the identification of ways in which pupils are engaged with and participate in decisions in the learning and assessment processes in AfL classrooms through what is claimed for AfL in:
Involving pupils in decision-making
Conveying a sense of progress
Putting less emphasis on grades
Making learning goals explicit
Developing peer- and self-assessment skills
Promoting learning goal orientation rather than performance.
Logically, through these processes, AfL in classrooms should create conditions that allow greater opportunities for pupil participation and its sister concept, pupil consultation (space, voice, audience and influence). As has been argued elsewhere (James et al, 2003), the conditions characterising AFL should mean that learners take responsibility for their learning (demonstrate agency) and develop strategies that enable them to learn both on their own and inter-dependently.
Therefore, the question for CPAL is: do pupils actually perceive this increasingly participative role in these classrooms and, if so, what is the impact on their experiences of learning and assessment?.
Study 2 thereforeconsults pupils at Key Stage 3 on their experiences of learning and assessment in AfL classrooms and identifies characteristics of AfL classrooms that support or inhibit pupil participation.Thus, the CPAL team is working, by agreement, in a sample of six post-primary schools that are engaging in AfL and where we will engage and consult with the pupils of a KS3 class in each of the schools over a period in time.
Here, Study 2 aims to tease out how a facilitative pedagogy such as AfL potentially creates a qualitative change in teacher-pupil relationships that challenges (alters/effects) existing power and authority structures thereby creating a more conducive climate for pupil participation and engagement. We are exploring how the four elements of space, voice, audience and influence, that we suggest are the essence of Article 12, are evident in AfL classes.
Since AfL is an initiative still in the process of being introduced in Northern Irelandand supported through cohort training by the ELBs and CCEA , we do not anticipate finding classrooms with teachers exemplifying some notions of ideal AfL practice. Rather, we are working closely with these bodies to identify sampling frames of post-primary schools with teachers in the process of developing AfL and thatcandemonstrate ‘existence proofs’ of AfL practice (Black & Wiliam 2003: 630). Ultimately,our aim is to collect data with approximately 180 pupils in years 8-10, with 10-12 teachers across five subject areas (Art, English, Geography, Maths and Science). At this stage we are in ‘early days’ of data collection with some very preliminary analysis but some of the emergent ideas I will share with you and look forward to hearing your views. Moving on to…
Study 3:The effective introduction of Assessment for Learning (and indeed Pupil Profiles) along with the imperatives for schooling inherent in Article 12 places demands on teachers. To ensure constructive and effective delivery of these initiatives, teachers must be ‘on board’, involvedfully at the heart of the process with opportunities for understanding, support and training (James & Pedder, 2005)
For CPAL, thisraises the research question, ‘What is the perceived impact on teacher’s sense of identity of being encouraged to incorporate more fully pupils’ thoughts, feelings and decisions into classroom practices centring on assessment?’
Study 3therefore consults a range of teachers on two levels:
(i)on Key stages 2 and 3 teachers’ responses to the increasingly participative role for pupils and specifically children’s rights in learning and assessment (in relation to Article 12 of the UNCRC) through AfL;
(ii) on KS3 teachers’ motivations, values and moral purposes (as linked to their autobiographies) that may promote or inhibit opportunities for increased pupil participation in assessment (and hence the realisation of children’s rights).
Tentative Findings
What follows, then, is a brief summary of the Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning project. As I have said earlier, we are still at very preliminary stages of data collection and analysis in the research process.In this sense, we only have the most tentative findings to share with you this morning.
Some of the themes that are emerging from primary and post-primary teachers on both their experiences of AfL and Children’s Rights and the issue of pupil consultation at this stage are as follows:
AfL in the classroom
In June 2005, a sample of teachers (n= 25) were surveyed regarding their experiences with the application of AfL in the classroom (15 primary and 10 post-primary). All of these teachers, engaged in action learning through the ELBs, had been using a wide range of AfL pedagogical techniques (including WALT board (What We Are Learning Today), success criteria, no hands up, think time, 2 stars and a wish). In relation to pupil participation, pupil motivation, inclusion and pupil consultation (all ultimately critical to the realisation of Children’s Rights),here are a number of responses that seem to exemplify how AfL approachesare perceived to create conditions more conducive to pupil participation in learning and assessment: