CS2: Researching Professional
Knowledge
The impact of formal examination in
KS3 Music: A case study looking at
student perceptions in Year 8
Saturday 21 June, 2014
John Smith
Rationale
• At the context school students sit formal examinations
across KS3 subject areas as part of an exam fortnight.
• In Year 8 Music the exam follows a practical assessment
and a combined mark is reported home to parents.
• Prior to my current role, the Music departments at the
three secondary schools I previously taught in only used
practical assessments to determine student progress at
KS3.
• I wanted to explore the impact of using non-practical
assessment in KS3 Music and whether it influences
student perception.
Context
• Mixed comprehensive secondary converter
academy situated in a large West Sussex town
• 1800 students aged 11–18
• Slightly above average GCSE results: 5 A*– C
(including English and Maths)
• Ofsted (2012) judgement of ‘good’ in all areas
• Students eligible for FSM below national average;
SA+ is above average; minority ethnic groups are
above average average and 25% have EAL status
Research Questions
1) Do students value the use of formal examination
in KS3 Music?
2) Does formal examination challenge and inspire
more able students and/or make it less
accessible to those who do not study/play music
outside of lessons?
3) Does it get in the way of musical learning or help
to enhance it?
Literature Review:
Musical v. formal assessment
• Swanwick (1999, p.69) argues that ‘genuinely musical
assessment is a key to effective education’, highlighting the
importance of assessing in a musical way for successful
learning.
• Green (2002, p.96) argues that, when it comes to learning
musical skills, ‘the written is always secondary to the aural.’
‘Assessment of musical understanding based on written
answers… will not be a valid way of assessing musical
understanding.’ (Fautley, 2010, p.187)
Literature Review:
Informal/practical assessment
‘It is when we find ourselves moving away from informal
assessment that things start to get tricky.’ (Swanwick, 1999, p.71)
• Spruce (2001, p.128) highlights that ‘the musical activities of
performing, listening and composing are integrated and... can
be assessed together as part of a holistic musical experience.’
• Stobart (2008, p.108) describes a test as ‘… a representation
of a skill, so the closer it mirrors the skill, the more valid it is
likely to be.’ Whilst knowledge can be tested in a written
exam, the demonstration of a range of musical skills is limited.
Literature Review:
Assessment as a separate activity
‘Tensions between the requirements of the teacher and the requirements of
those beyond the classroom has led to a conflation of different purposes of
assessment.’ (Fautley, 2010, p.61)
• Assessment through the use of a separate activity may be carried out for
reasons other than learning. Fautley (2010, p.64) points out that ‘within the
paradigm where teachers need to prove they are doing assessment, one
way… is to consider the notion of taking… ‘snapshots’ of attainment and
using these as evidence of progression.’
• Philpott (2007, p.211) highlights that ‘…summative ‘results’ can and should
be used formatively.’
• In regard to listening exams, Witchell (2001, pp. 201) argues that ‘in a
mainstream class perhaps only a minority of pupils would be able to
respond and answer questions at higher levels.’
Research Methodology
Choice of questionnaire format:
• Versatile, allowing for the collection of quantitative and qualitative
data from a large group of respondents
• Closed questions used: dichotomous, multiple choice and rating
scales. These are ‘quick to complete and straightforward to code.’
(Coen, Manion and Morrison, 2000, p.248)
• Open questions allow respondents to ‘…write a free response in
their own terms, to explain and qualify their responses and avoid
the limitations of pre-set categories.’ (Coen, Manion and Morrison,
2000, p.248)
• As Wilson (2009, p.120) points out, questionnaires have
‘weaknesses such as less freedom for the interviewee to develop
their own thoughts and a reliance on the written form of
expression.’
Research Methodology
Choice of group interview format:
• Wilson (2009, p.114) identifies that an instrument ‘most frequently
used to elicit relevant qualitative data [includes the use of]
interviews.’
• Individual interviews less efficient due to time constraints and child
protection considerations.
• In group interviews, ‘the researcher asks questions and respondents
answer’, where as in focus groups, the researcher’s role is to
‘facilitate or moderate discussion among participants, not between
yourself and the participants.’ (Thomas, 2013, p.203)
• ‘A group will make a ‘riskier’ decision than an individual… there’s
safety in numbers’ (ibid p.203), therefore useful for drawing out
opinions.
Sample Group
• 106 students from four mixed classes sampled using
questionnaires: one third of Year 8 cohort (8% receive
FSM, 16% have SA/SA+ status and 35% EAL status). These
were completed three weeks after the exam.
• Nine students took part in the group interviews: five girls
in the first group and four boys in the second (4 have EAL
status, no SA/SA+ or FSM). These took place four and five
weeks after the exam.
Ethics:
• Participation optional; anonymity maintained throughout
• SLT approval given; parental permission sought for group
interviews
• Questionnaire used as method of AfL within lessons
Questionnaire Findings
• 59% currently sing/rap, play an instrument or create music at
home (higher than anticipated).
• 70% spent less than 30 minutes preparing for the exam
outside of lessons; 22% did not prepare at all.
How easy or difficult did you find
the exam?
Very Easy (3%)
‘The exam was a
good test of what I
have been learning
in music lessons’
Easy (9%)
About The Right Level (65%)
Difficult (19%)
Very Difficult (4%)
Yes (70%) No (30%)
Questionnaire Findings
• 49% said they were making ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ progress in music before
taking the exam and 54% after taking the exam.
• 28% said they are making more progress as a result of taking the exam
and 56% said there was no change.
Since getting your exam result, are you
more or less likely to consider taking
GCSE Music?
The Same (43%)
Less (42%)
More (15%)
Explain why…
‘I got a low score so feel I won’t
be able to do the GCSE’
‘Because I got a good result,
considering taking it’
‘It’s just an exam and I want to
do more’
Questionnaire Findings
‘More practicals so we
can try it ourselves’
‘More song lessons’
‘Less theory and
more practical’
‘More time and lessons on how to
play certain songs on certain
instruments’
What would help you
make better progress
in music lessons?
‘More group tasks and then
performing them to the class
(make up our own music)’
‘Do more on
instruments’
‘Longer time
rehearsing’
‘Less tests, learning music on different
instruments other than keyboard’
Group Interview Findings
‘I do think the exam was easier for people who can read music
and already understand how to play an instrument… they get a
higher score for something they understand.’
‘I think that an exam shouldn’t just be based on something
on instruments but also on… knowledge of things.’
‘…with music you feel like you want to only play the music
but, like, it is necessary you do a bit of written work as well,
but… it’s not like the most fun thing to do.’
Resulting Recommendations
• The use of formal examination has been embedded into students
mindsets as a valuable method of testing within context school.
• Students do seem to value practical assessments more but this isn’t
as one-sided as I expected.
• Assessments need to be kept musical – it is important to test
musical skills.
• Important to keep topics varied: practical lessons aren’t currently
always providing this.
• What students value most is the opportunity to learn successfully
through enjoyable lessons. If they have to be tested formally on
occasion then that is fine.
• Desire to do more composing tasks – preparing for exam limits
range of practical tasks covered within schemes.
• Small-scale research valuable for gauging student opinion and
adapting own teaching to uniqueness of establishment. Every
school is different.
Limitations
• Opinions could have been researched before exam
• Delay in research collection due to scheduling limitations
likely to have had an effect on responses given
• Other factors also would have influenced student decisions to
take Music as a GCSE that haven’t been explored here – for
example, did results in other subjects influence their
decision?
• Group Interviews veered off topic easily – different
approaches such as ‘card sort’ activities to draw themes out
could have been used
• Some students more vocal or influenced by others – attended
as friendship groups
• Could compare to other Music departments
Bibliography
• Coen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2000), Research Methods in Education. (Fifth
Edition) London: RoutledgeFalmer.
• Fautley, M. (2010), Assessment in music education. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Green, L. (2002), How Popular Musicians Learn: A Way Ahead for Music Education.
Farnham: Ashgate Publishing.
• Philpott, C. (2007), Assessment in Music Education, in: C. Philpott & G. Spruce
(Eds.), Learning to Teach Music in the Secondary School. (Second Edition) Abingdon:
RoutledgeFalmer.
• Spruce, G. (2001), Music assessment and the hegemony of musical heritage, in: C.
Philpott and C. Plummeridge (Eds.) Issues in Music Teaching. Abingdon:
RoutledgeFalmer.
• Stobart, G. (2008), Testing times: The uses and abuses of assessment. Abingdon:
Routledge.
• Swanwick, K. (1999), Teaching music musically. London: Routledge.
• Thomas, G. (2013), How to do your research project. (Second Edition) London: Sage
Publications.
• Wilson, E. (2009), School-based research. London: Sage.
• Witchell, J. (2001), Music education and individual needs, in: C. Philpott and C.
Plummeridge (Eds.) Issues in Music Teaching, Abingdon: RoutledgeFalmer.