Saturday 21 June, 2014 John Smith

1. CS2: Researching Professional KnowledgeThe impact of formal examination in KS3 Music: A case study looking at student perceptions in Year 8 Saturday 21 June, 2014 John Smith

2. 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 assessmentand 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 assessmentsto 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.

3. 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

4. Research Questions • Do students value the use of formal examination in KS3 Music? • 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? • Does it get in the way of musical learning or help to enhance it?

5. 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)

6. 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.

7. 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.’

8. 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.’

9. 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’ (ibidp.203), thereforeuseful for drawing out opinions.

10. 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

11. 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.

12. Questionnaire Findings • 49% said they were making ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ progress in music before taking the examand 54% after taking the exam. • 28% said they are making more progress as a result of taking the examand 56% said there was no change. 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’

13. Questionnaire Findings ‘More time and lessons on how to play certain songs on certain instruments’ ‘More practicals so we can try it ourselves’ What would help you make better progress in music lessons? ‘More song lessons’ ‘Do more on instruments’ ‘Less theory and more practical’ ‘Longer time rehearsing’ ‘More group tasks and then performing them to the class (make up our own music)’ ‘Less tests, learning music on different instruments other than keyboard’

14. 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.’

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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.