Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning (CPAL) CPAL.qub.ac.uk

1. CCEA AfL Conference 12th January 2006 Chimney Corner Inn Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning (CPAL)www.CPAL.qub.ac.uk Research team: Ruth Leitch, On behalf of: John Gardner, Laura Lundy, Peter Clough, Despina Galanouli and Stephanie Mitchell School of Education Queen’s University Belfast

2. Inform you about CPAL Share some underpinning ideas on pupil rights in context of learning and assessment Present preliminary views from teachers and principals on Assessment for Learning (AfL) and pupil consultation Three aims for this morning’s presentation

3. Eighteen month research project (June 2005- December 2006) Focuses on pupil rights and consultation in relation to assessment Collaborative Located in current NI policy context Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning(CPAL)

4. Core research team CPAL Research Team

5. Collaboration with CCEA, ELBs and schools Attendees at CPAL September Launch

6. 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 and to ‘test’ a model of ‘pupil voice’; CPAL’s Aims

7. (CPAL) Three interrelated studies

8. Children’s Rights Perspective and ‘pupil voice’ Assessment for Learning and pupil participation and consultation (CPAL) Underpinning key issues

9. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 12… gives children the right to express their views: Children’s Rights’ Perspective – ‘Voice is not enough’ ‘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’. Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning Study 1

10. Children’s Rights Perspective *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 (Lundy, 2005)

11. Assessment for Learning and Children’s Rights (participation) ‘AfL is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go, and how best to get there.’ (ARG, 2002) • Four key processes (Black and Wiliam, 1998): • eliciting information • providing feedback • sharing criteria • peer- and self-assessment

12. (i) Improved learning and standards; (ii) Improved self-esteem for pupils. Assessment for Learning claims evidence for: • CPAL interested in how AfL engages pupils through: • Involving pupils in decision-making • Conveying a sense of progress • Putting less emphasis on grades • Making learning goals explicit • Developing self-assessment skills • Promoting learning goals and confidence to improve

13. Small-scale and in-depth ethnographic study Focus: Year groups 8-10 Sample: Six post-primary schools engaged in AfL Methods: Classrooms: Observation of classroom experience in AfL Pupils: Focus groups Creative/structured activities Teachers: Structured conversations Study 2: Consults pupils at KS3 about their experiences of learning in AfL classrooms

14. Pupil views’ about assessment and AfL What is KS3 pupils’ understanding of assessment and their role in this? - how do pupils feel in AfL classes? - what is different in AfL classroom? - how do pupils feel they are engaged (or not)? - in what ways do they participate/ are they consulted? - what are the gains/ benefits/limitations? Understanding classroom processes What is specific to AfL classrooms in terms of how pupils are engaged/consulted? - what is the difference in language used in AfL classrooms? - how does AfL pedagogy affect pupil participation? - how do teachers negotiate greater pupil involvement? - what characterises teacher-pupil relationship in AfL classrooms? CPAL Research questions:

15. Emerging bodies of research on: Key role teachers play in innovations - Narratives of teacher identity which link early socialisation and emotional experiences to later attitudes and flexibility of behaviour. Study 3: Teachers’ perspectives

16. The are TWO dimensions to this element of CPAL: Evaluate teachers’ perspectiveson AfL - mapping responses to the increasingly participative role for pupils, specifically focusing on pupil rights in learning and assessment (ii) Understanding teachers’ narratives of identity - to understand the role of teachers’ own autobiographies (beliefs, values, motives, fears, moral purposes) in encouraging or inhibiting pupil engagement in classrooms. Study 3: Consults teachers at KS3

17. Motivation and self-esteem ‘My children have never been so interested in receiving their work back before. Being specific about what was good really motivated the children and focused both the teacher and the children to make improvements. All the children took on board the wish and corrected that part. Was good for self-esteem as they felt proud of the 2 stars.’ Primary teacher ‘There is almost an immediate positive response from pupils.  They are intrigued when they see the posters appearing in the room. ‘No hands’ and Think Time…but it takes time…’ Secondary teacher Inclusion ‘No hands’ has involved more of the pupils, no pupils are excluded from questions and all pupils are engaged at some point in the discussions. Previously the number involved may have been less than a third of the class.’ Secondary teacher ‘Some lesser able pupils do seem to be having more success when they follow the Success Criteria on the board.’ Primary teacher Consultation ‘We have discussed all the strategies used with the children and they are extremely positive about this assessment approach.’ Primary teacher ‘I did ask my class about the learning board, and their general response was that they liked being able to see through the lesson what they had to do so they could "check they were right".  They also liked to know what I wanted, and that I told them when I checked their work against what was on the board.’ Primary teacher Teacher views on AfL and pupil participation

18. Pupil self-assessment Exams and grading Participation

19. ‘It’s about the handing over of control from teacher to pupil...I ask the children for success criteria’ (P2 teacher: female) I say ‘If you (pupils) were teaching, what would you be looking for? Then questions and prompts are generated with a class...’ (P7 teacher: male) I ask them ‘what would you like to learn about..?..;I ask for feedback from the children.. Then ‘ That was my question. Ok I am going to use your questions for us to learn about this project’..’ and ‘Which answer do you like best? – all this gives them more control over their learning.’ (P6 teacher: female) ‘I like the idea of them becoming the teacher..It’s amazing what little ones can take on board…getting then to give success criteria, that is powerful/important…..we get the dialogue going. I love giving them the space to talk..’ (P2 teacher: female) ‘Children love pointing out to you when you have done something wrong...You made a mistake ..so what?’ (P4 teacher:female) How AfL alters power balance in classroom: Primary teachers’ views

20. Very supportive in principle - ‘high priority’ - ‘should happen as fully as possible’ Articulate rationale - ‘pupil motivation’’ - ‘ownership’ - ‘engagement in relation to schooling’ Qualifiers - ‘easier in some subjects’ - ‘needs to be linked to age /ability’ - ‘with caution’ - ‘need to change culture and practice of schooling’ Grammar School Headteachers’ Views on Pupil Consultation in Assessment

21. To what extent do teachers see AfL as a set of ‘skills’ for learning rather than putting the pupil back into the heart of learning? How widely do teachers espouse pupil entitlement to be involved in their own assessment? How widely do teachers take on board teacher learning as part of AfL? Enduring research questions we seek your ideas on

22. Reflection and research discussionHow did you react to the Pupil Rights’ model? • You will receive a sheet with the model of Article 12 for consideration which we will, by agreement, gather in at the end of the session. • Individually write some written reflections (don’t have to be profound) on how you personally make sense of the four terms – space, voice, audience and influence. (5-6mins) • In groups of approx. 8: which aspects of the pupils’ rights model do you view as problematic or potentially problematic? Please record on flipchart.