Cambridge University Press & Assessment – Research reports

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Reports of research carried out by the Research Division for Cambridge University Press and Assessment and its business streams, or externally funded research carried out for third parties including the regulators in the UK and many ministries overseas.

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Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Ethnicity has some effect
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Gender makes a difference
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
The pattern of AS and A2 level choices of subjects tended to follow gender stereotypes. Boys preferred to take more practical subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Computing, ICT, or Business Studies and were more likely than girls to choose two or more science/maths subjects. The subject considered most important by boys at AS was Applied ICT although this did not appear in their Top 10 most important subjects at A2 level. Business Studies and Art & Design became more important at this level. Girls preferred to take subjects involving languages or the Humanities such as English, Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Art and Design and were more likely than boys to have chosen at least one Modern Foreign Language, although uptake of Modern Foreign Languages was relatively low for both males and females.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Prior attainment has an impact
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Students’ prior GSCE attainment had an impact on their choices of AS and A2 level subjects. The higher the students’ prior GCSE results had been, the more likely they were to have chosen science/mathematics subjects like Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Further Mathematics. The lower the students’ GCSE results had been, the more likely they were to have chosen newer/vocational/technology subjects like Business Studies, Media Studies, Art and Design, ICT and Computing. The choice of English subjects varied relatively little according to prior attainment.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice School type has an influence
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
The choices of AS and A2 level subjects were influenced by the types of schools attended. Students attending Grammar or Independent schools tended to take more AS level subjects compared with the number taken by students attending Comprehensive schools or 6th Form Colleges. Students attending Independent schools, Grammar schools and 6th Form Colleges were oriented towards science subjects, and this orientation was most noticeable in Independent schools. Students attending FE/Tertiary colleges were more likely to take Arts subjects or subjects in the Socio/Humanities fields. Students attending Comprehensive schools chose a mixture of subjects.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice 17-year-olds make sensible choices
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Students, in general, chose their subjects because they thought they would find them interesting or because they thought they would enjoy them -Usefulness for the future (career, job or training) featured as an important factor on the students’ decisions -Students were also very influenced by the perception of their ability in the subject -Perceived level of easiness/difficulty of a subject had little influence on choice -Other factors investigated (for example, timetabling, pressure from the school in making choices, liking of the teacher, influence of friends) had no major influence on the choice
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Subjects are not perceived as being equally important
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Mathematics, Chemistry, English and Biology are seen as some of the most important subjects to the students who chose them both at AS and at A2. Amongst the academic subjects, sciences received higher ratings than languages did. The subjects that were considered more important by the Year 13 students (A2 level) who chose them were: Music, Chemistry, Further Mathematics, Biology, Mathematics and English Language. However, when interpreting these results it should be remembered that there are large differences in the percentages of students completing the survey who chose them.
Open Access
Formal definitions of assessment types Reforms to qualifications: Factsheet 1
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2017-01-03) Vitello, Sylvia; Williamson, Joanna
The educational system in England is undergoing major reform by the Department for Education (DfE) and the national regulator, Ofqual. Reforms are underway for both vocational and academic qualifications. This factsheet provides definitions of types of assessment that are mentioned in the reforms. The aim is to clarify the distinction between external/internal versus exam/non-exam assessment. It is important to note that the DfE and Ofqual use certain terms in ways that differ from their more common usage in everyday language.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Future careers guide the choice of specific subjects
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
The reason that was rated as ‘very important’ for most students when asked how they combined their subjects was ‘required combination for future career’, given by 40% of the students. Being ‘the required combination for a degree at University’ was rated as very important by 34% of students. The least important reasons for choosing a particular combination were ‘wanting to have a mixture of science and arts/humanities subjects’, ‘the combination fitting well in the timetable’ and ‘being advised to choose the combination’.
Open Access
Essay Marking on Screen Essay marking accuracy is reliable across modes
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Johnson, Martin
Educational assessment agencies in the UK have shifted towards assessors marking digitally scanned copies of exam scripts rather than the original paper documents. This shift has prompted questions about whether marking accuracy differs by marking mode. Cambridge Assessment research into examiners’ marking practices on screen and on paper found that examiners can mark essays as accurately on screen as they can on paper.
Open Access
Essay Marking on Screen Marking behaviours differ on screen
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Johnson, Martin
Researchers at Cambridge Assessment investigated whether marking behaviours differed on screen and on paper. This investigation was part of a wider project looking at the reliability of marking accuracy across marking modes. It was found that examiners employed different behaviours in terms of navigating through essays, annotating essays and remembering where information was found in essays. However, the difference in marking behaviours did not influence the overall reliability of examiner marking accuracy across modes.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice 17-year-olds know how to seek advice
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Students acknowledged receiving advice regarding their AS/A2 level choices but there were differences in the amount and perceived importance of advice between the social class groups, prior attainment levels and schools attended. Parents were the most sought source of advice when decisions about A level subject choices had to be made - 43% of students in the survey acknowledged receiving advice from their parents. Teachers were the second source of advice, with around 38% of students regarding them as advisors. However, the advice from parents and teachers was not considered by students as the most useful they had received.
Open Access
Essay Marking on Screen Cognitive workload is greater on screen
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Johnson, Martin
Electronic marking of digitally scanned images of exam scripts is now used by all major UK educational assessment agencies. Although it is not yet replacing traditional paper-based marking in all contexts, marking on screen represents a significant development. Measures of examiner cognitive workload in this project suggested that examiners with no prior experience of marking on screen had to work harder to achieve the same results when marking on screen as on paper. It was also found that marking on screen was more frustrating than traditional paper based marking, particularly in the earliest stages of marking for the examiners in this study.
Open Access
Emotional Intelligence Social and emotional abilities are important determinants of success at school
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Ability, as measured by prior attainment, is not the only determinant of examination performance. Cambridge Assessment’s research shows that some aspects of trait emotional intelligence are significantly related to attainment in GCSE subjects, and predict performance over and above that accounted for by students’ prior attainment. Notably, the emotional intelligence subscales of self motivation and low impulsivity were found to be significant predictors of attainment at GCSE in almost all subjects investigated.
Open Access
Emotional Intelligence A predictor of performance in a range of GCSE subjects
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Trait emotional intelligence affected progress differently across various GCSE subjects considered, and influenced school attainment in certain subjects more than in others. A greater number of emotional intelligence subscales and factors were significantly related to progress in English and English Literature than in other subjects considered. Self-motivation and low impulsivity were significant predictors of progress in almost all subjects. Some subscales were found to have a negative relationship with progress in GCSE Mathematics.
Open Access
Emotional Intelligence Self-motivation and low impulsivity predict progress in GCSE science
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
This study sought to explore the relationship between trait emotional intelligence in secondary school students and performance in GCSE science specifications. Results of the study showed that some aspects of emotional intelligence significantly predicted attainment in GCSE sciences over and above the contribution made by prior attainment. In particular, self-motivation and low impulsivity were significant predictors in five out of six science specifications.
Open Access
Critical Thinking Overview of Assessments and Qualifications in the UK
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Black, Beth
There are various assessments and qualifications involving Critical Thinking available from Cambridge Assessment and other agencies. Critical Thinking (CT) has been available in the UK as an AS/A level since 2001 when 130 schools entered just over 2,000 candidates. By 2009 this had increased to over 1000 schools entering over 22,000 candidates. CT has become an important element in high stakes selection tests used by an increasing number of UK universities, and as a part of some psychometric tests used by employers.
Open Access
Critical Thinking Deriving the Definition
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Black, Beth
Increasingly, Critical Thinking skills are being recognised and valued in educational and work settings and in subjects across the science-humanities divide. This has led to a high demand for tests and assessments to measure and acknowledge these skills. Over time, the range and nature of these assessments have grown and evolved, resulting in the need for a common and explicit working conception and definition of the domain of Critical Thinking.
Open Access
Critical Thinking Critical Thinking adds value
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Black, Beth
Research at Cambridge Assessment has found that there is a significant advantage to Critical Thinking (CT) candidates in their other subjects. Further research also investigated how CT is delivered in schools and found that despite a number of challenges and obstacles, teachers were convinced of the value of CT.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Social class makes a difference
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
Students from high social class groups were more likely to have chosen Biology, English Literature, Further Maths, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Music or Physics while those in lower social class groups were more likely to have chosen Psychology, Sociology, ICT, Law, Media Studies, Citizenship, Film Studies, or Health and Social Care. The level of uptake of subjects such as PE/Sport, Philosophy, Design and Technology or English Language was not dependent on the students’ backgrounds.
Open Access
AS and A Level Choice Modern Foreign Languages are not popular choices
(Research Division, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2012-01-01) Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen
The most popular Modern Foreign Languages were French, German and Spanish. At AS level, French was taken by less than 8% of the students surveyed, while German and Spanish were each taken by less than 4% of the sample. At A2 level, the figures were even lower, as less than 5% of those in the survey chose to take French, while 3% chose German and 2% chose Spanish. These figures are low considering the percentage of schools in the survey that provided courses at AS and A2 level.