Ofqual Consultation on the Assessment of Practical Work in GCSE Science

Ofqual Consultation on the Assessment of Practical Work in GCSE Science

Field Studies Council response – January 2015

About Field Studies Council (FSC)

The Field Studies Council (FSC) is a pioneering education charity committed to bringing environmental understanding to all. FSC provides informative and enjoyable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover, explore, be inspired by, and understand the natural and built environment. We believe that the more we know about the environment, the more we can appreciate its needs and protect its diversity and beauty for future generations.

We currently welcome 145,000 visitors every year on courses to our UK network of 19 Field Centres. These include groups from nearly 3,000 schools, colleges and 60+ universities (including 23 out of 24 Russell Group universities).

With over 70 years of experience, FSC is internationally respected for our education centres and is the UK’s leading provider of biodiversity and ecology related training courses for adult learners, with career development for professionals involved in ecology, natural history and landscape related disciplines and courses for leisure learners interested in discovering more about the world around them.

Question 1: In relation to our proposed model (page 5 and pages 23 to 29 of the consultation) how far do you agree with each of the following statements?

1a) GCSE science students will be given appropriate opportunities to complete a range of practical work if exam questions reward those who can draw on their practical experiences.

Strongly disagree.

FSC has on numerous occasions (including previous responses to Ofqual and Department for Education consultations) highlighted our deep concern about the impact of examining practical experiences solely through written questions. As the Wellcome Trust’s education adviser, Sir John Holman, recently wrote: it is difficult to imagine any question that cannot be answered without practical experience ( a sentiment that was strongly echoed at the 2015 Association for Science Education (ASE) annual conference. There is no strong evidence that this method of examination works, and FSC would strongly recommend that Ofqual revisit this decision.

1b) At least 15 per cent of the marks in science GCSE exams should be allocated to questions drawing on students’ practical science experiences.

Strongly Disagree.

Currently, controlled assessment forms 25 per cent of the GCSE grade. A downward shift, especially in light of the removal of non-exam assessment of practical skills, would therefore be inappropriate and would re-affirm the perception that practical experience is not as valued. FSC recommends that at least 25% of the marks in science GCSE exams should be allocated to questions drawing on students’ practical science experiences.

1c) Science GCSE students will be more likely to be given opportunities to undertake a wide and varied range of practical work if such work is focused on teaching and learning and is not itself assessed.

Strongly disagree.

The (extensive) published research does not support this, but rather the opposite. Given the pressures that teachers and school leaders face – such as new accountability measures, reduced school budgets, and ‘rarely cover’ restrictions – there is a very strong likelihood that the lack of assessment of practical work will lead to reduced fieldwork opportunities both of high quality (with varied locations that extend beyond the school grounds, and less compacted duration including for residentials) and quantity.

Regarding the proposed requirements (pages 26-29 of the consultation document):

Biology: FSC welcomes the inclusion of sampling techniques in fieldwork. The ‘choice and use of appropriate laboratory and field apparatus for a variety of experimental investigations in differing locations’ should be amended to include the bold text, given the importance of fieldwork experience within biology. FSC shares the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) concerns that students have the opportunity to access botanical skills at GCSE.
Chemistry: FSC is deeply concerned by the lack of fieldwork reference within the chemistry requirements. Fieldwork and experience in a real world setting are a vital element within all sciences, and as such fieldwork and outdoor learning should be explicitly included within the chemistry requirements. FSC would be pleased to submit examples of chemistry fieldwork which is accessible to all schools in all situations.
Physics: FSC welcomes the (muted) reference to fieldwork within the phrase ‘both in laboratories…and in everyday motions’. However, there is no doubt that the fieldwork requirement within physics should be greatly strengthened. Fieldwork and experience in a real world setting are a vital element within all sciences, and as such fieldwork should be explicitly included within the physics requirements. FSC would be pleased to submit examples of physics fieldwork which is accessible to all schools in all situations.

1d) Science GCSE students will be more likely to be given opportunities to completely the practical work included in an exam specification if schools are required to confirm this in writing to their exam board.

Disagree.

There is little evidence available to determine how schools will view this requirement. FSC’s concern is that this should not become a box-ticking exercise. FSC recommends that the written confirmation of practical work by schools has a level of detail that ensures it provides meaningful information to awarding bodies and promotes high quality practical and fieldwork experience.

1e) Science GCSE students will be more likely to be given opportunities to undertake a wide and varied range of practical work if they are required to keep a record of such work (a student record).

Agree.

FSC welcomes the requirement for recording at individual level. An (e)portfolio of laboratory and fieldwork demonstrating that students have taken part in a full range of practical experiences. Moderated externally, this would encourage teachers and senior managers to engage in more frequent practical work throughout courses, providing greater opportunities for the progressive development of practical and manipulative skills (equipment handling etc), knowledge, understanding and curiosity. It would also provide students with a transferable record of their skills and experiences, provide welcome information to further and higher education institutions and employers, and reinforce the importance of recording skills which are a necessary part of science-related careers.

Given these elements, we are surprised that this is not a requirement at AS and A level. The Ofqual/Awarding Bodies’ trialling of A level practical science requirements showed that schools were using in-house laboratory books. FSC recommends that Ofqual and the Awarding Bodies adopt a common approach to the student record to facilitate comparison between students and awards.

We would also recommend that Ofqual extends the requirement of student portfolios of practical experiences to A level assessment to ensure progression of skills and recording between GCSE and A level. The addition of student portfolios at A level may also go some way toward addressing the concerns within the sector around the devaluation of practical skills by making the pass/fail statement more meaningful, as well as providing universities with a better tool to assess prospective students’ abilities.

FSC is currently working with different awarding bodies and universities to develop a strong mechanism for student portfolios (see question 2). We welcome the opportunity to share our findings with Ofqual and awarding bodies and we will be writing to Ofqual directly on this matter.

1f) It would be unmanageable, in terms of time and cost, for teachers to assess directly each of their science GCSE students manipulating a range of equipment and conducting a range of experiments to confirm their competency in practical skills.

Disagree.

FSC believes that this assessment, especially if separate from the final grade, can be completed over a period of time. This assessment is about the acquisition of the practical and manipulative skills, and can form part of the portfolio requirement.

1g) The revised assessment objectives for science GCSEs are appropriate.

Strongly disagree

FSC is concerned by the lack of skills and techniques within the assessment objectives. Science is as practical a subject as geography. Therefore, FSC recommends that Ofqual includes a similar AO4 assessment objective such as: “Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to plan, carry out and evaluate aspects of investigative, practical work and analyse the results” as well as the proposed weighting of 25% with 5% used to respond to fieldwork data and contexts.

Additionally, FSC recommends that 10% of the AO3 weighting is applied to practical work.

1h) The weightings proposed for the revised assessment objectives for science GCSEs are appropriate.

Strongly disagree

FSC recommends the inclusion of an AO4 focused on skills and techniques and with a weighting of 25% (see question 1g). Additionally, 10% of the AO3 weighting should be applied to practical work. As such, Ofqual should use the geography assessment objectives weighting as guidance to ensure the science assessment objectives reflect the necessary rigour on application of knowledge.

1i) The weightings proposed for the assessment objectives for science GCSEs should be the same at each tier.

Agree.

1j) The proposal that no less than 15 per cent of the total marks available in a science GCSE must be used to credit the demonstration of mathematical skills is appropriate.

Disagree

While mathematical skills are important – including within fieldwork and the interpretation of raw ‘messy’ data – each of the sciences has different mathematical requirements. As such, the percentage of total marks allocated to mathematical skills should not be standardised across the sciences, especially if this allocation is detrimental to the total marks that can be allocated to practical and fieldwork skills.

1k) The proposal that no less than 15 per cent of the total marks available in a science GCSE must be used to credit the demonstration of mathematical skills should apply to each of the science GCSE subjects.

Disagree.

The different sciences have different mathematical demands and as such that variance should be reflected within the different total marks allocation. FSC recommends that for biology it is reduced to 10% (bringing it in line with A level). Physics, however, is a very mathematical subject and therefore 15% may be too little.

1l) The lists of apparatus and techniques that all students taking science GCSEs will be expected to be able to use are appropriate.

Strongly disagree.

Regarding the proposed requirements (pages 26-29 of the consultation document):

Biology: FSC welcomes the inclusion of sampling techniques in fieldwork. The ‘choice and use of appropriate laboratory and field apparatus for a variety of experimental investigations in differing locations’ should be amended to include the bold text, given the importance of fieldwork experience within biology. FSC shares the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) concerns that students have the opportunity to access botanical skills at GCSE.
Chemistry: FSC is deeply concerned by the lack of fieldwork reference within the chemistry requirements. Fieldwork and experience in a real world setting are a vital element within all sciences, and as such fieldwork and outdoor learning should be explicitly included within the chemistry requirements. FSC would be pleased to submit examples of chemistry fieldwork which is accessible to all schools in all situations.
Physics: FSC welcomes the (muted) reference to fieldwork within the phrase ‘both in laboratories…and in everyday motions’. However, there is no doubt that the fieldwork requirement within physics should be greatly strengthened. Fieldwork and experience in a real world setting are a vital element within all sciences, and as such fieldwork should be explicitly included within the physics requirements. FSC would be pleased to submit examples of physics fieldwork which is accessible to all schools in all situations.

1m) The proposal that exam boards must require each student taking science GCSEs to undertake at least eight practical activities (16 for combined science) is appropriate.

Agree.

FSC supports this requirement in principle. If managed effectively, and given sufficient time to pilot and trial their development (including supporting resources), this gives Awarding Bodies and schools an opportunity to be more flexible and innovative in their application and delivery of fieldwork and practicals.

Question 2: Do you have any views about what form the student record should take and the types of information it should contain? If ‘yes’, please give suggestions below.

Yes.

FSC recommends that guidance be provided as to what information should be included within the student record. This would allow a range of evidence (e.g. data logger traces, write ups, videos, etc) to be included. FSC has begun work with a number of partners on this issue, and would therefore welcome the opportunity to collaborate further with Ofqual and awarding bodies.

Question 3: We are looking for the approach to the assessment of students’ practical science experience that can achieve the best balance between the aims of:

Delivering the curriculum aims and encourage a wide range of practical science teaching over the period of study
Being manageable for schools – taking into account the numbers of students who take science GVSEs, the range of ability and the time typically allocated to each subject
Providing valid and reliable assessments – test the right things and do this accurately and consistently, so as to differentiate effectively between students’ performance
Being able to withstand accountability pressures, that is, to avoid exerting unmanageable contradictions on teachers where they are acting as the assessor and being judged themselves through the outcomes of the assessments they make – the results of their students.

How far do you agree that our proposed model (page 5 and pages 23 to 29 of the consultation) provides the best balance between those aims? Please give reasons for your answers.

Disagree

FSC is concerned by the lack of research and evidence to support the view that Ofqual’s proposals will accomplish the outcomes that Ofqual wants. There is, however, strong and extensive evidence that what higher education institutions and employers want the most from students is experience of practical and manipulative skills.

As we have previously stated, notably when Ofqual proposed similar changes to A level science, this is a high risk strategy that is being implemented for a subject that has been recognised by all as vital to the future of individual students specifically and the UK more generally. FSC is yet to be convinced that Ofqual’s proposals will have a positive impact on students’ scientific knowledge and experience, including gaining the desired confidence and competence in practical skills and fieldwork.

Question 4: Do you believe that there is an alternative option that can provide a better balance between these aims?

Question 5: If you responded ‘yes’ to question 4, which of the options below do you believe provides a better balance between these aims when used in addition to some science GCSE exam questions drawing on students’ practical science experience? Please give reasons for your answer.

[ ] Option (i) science GCSE students’ practical skills are directly assessed and mark and that mark contributes to the overall grade.

The practical skills are assessed by:

(X ) teachers observing students during the course

( ) a practical exam testing students’ technical and manipulative skills

( ) an extended investing including direct assessment of practical skills

(X ) a portfolio of experiments, detailing methodologies, results and conclusions and including direct assessment of practical skills.

[ ] Option (ii) science GCSE students’ practical skills are assessed on a pass/fail basis related to competency with that outcome report alongside the grade derived from their performance in the exams.

[ X ] A different option that has not been covered in our consultation (please give full details of your proposed option).

As first teaching of the new GCSE sciences will take place in September 2016 this leaves sufficient time to trial different approaches, particularly in developing a suite of practicals and fieldwork activities for all three sciences, and creating student portfolios which provide evidence of practical work. FSC would support both areas. An option to support this work could be developed by Ofqual.