The Single Most Important Factor Influencing Learning Education Essay Example

At the end of Key Stage 3, teachers provide their opinions on each eligible student, considering their progress and performance throughout this stage. They need to determine:

• a grade for each achievement level in English, mathematics, science, and modern foreign languages.
• an overall subject grade in both core and non-core subjects.
• Teachers should base their opinions on the grade descriptions in the national curriculum.

Q13 requires trainee teachers to understand how to use local and national statistical information to assess the effectiveness of their teaching. At Guthlaxton College, the pastoral assessment of students utilizes a summative model known as an ATL (attitude to learning). This model compares aspirational target grades derived from scores at Key Stage 3 and analyzed using the Fischer Family Trust data analysis project, which provides estimates of likely attainment.

These projections are based on FFT estimations, which are individually calculated for each student. They provide an estimate of future attainment by comparing the student's progress to that of similar students in previous years. The ATL mark, along with teacher assessment, coursework grades, test results, and attendance, provides ongoing information about the student's progress and performance in all subject areas. By identifying areas of strength and areas needing development or support, student progress can be assessed and achievement levels can be improved. Effective schools continuously monitor progress and evaluate themselves by examining student progress and grades, identifying factors that hinder or accelerate achievement and progress.

It is important for the school to carefully consider the impact of any intervention or support on student learning.

In my own practice, I have used data such as summative data, ATL scores, and FFT projections to discuss student progress with parents during student review sessions. Additionally, I have utilized test and mock test scores to identify areas for improvement in my teaching methods and assess student achievement levels. The school can use GCSE results at key stage 4 to identify weaknesses or areas in need of support and intervention by examining patterns that may emerge from analyzing these summative results.

This information can be provided to competent leaders who can determine countries for future development. Summational appraisal can therefore drive school improvement. Educational decisions regarding student performance, such as the trend I noticed in my second school placement during key stage 3, should rely on effective use of the gathered evidence. A child's performance can develop over a relatively short period of time. Consistent and careful use of summative data can assist a teacher or school in making effective teaching decisions.

The National Strategies emphasize the importance of using summative assessment data in schools in a contextual manner. For example, student achievement should be compared to national averages and relevant factors such as turbulence and KS3 and 4 splits (Leicestershire), as well as socio-economic factors like EAL. Additionally, differences in achievement specific to subjects may also arise. The strategies highlight the need for collecting only "useful" data to provide sound evidence for improvement. Schools can use relevant information to set targets and identify successful practices that can be replicated or used as exemplary teaching.

When establishing marks, schools can take steps towards support provision, training, intervention, and further development (dcsf 2010). Music as a subject presents

challenges when trying to perform a final assessment of a performance or composition, etc. This is because there are gray areas that are subjective in nature. In a school setting, when faced with the challenge of evaluating work that will always be subjectively interpreted to some extent, a teacher needs to have an assessment model that is legitimate in a whole-education context (Spruce 1996). In my own practice, I have used the carefully worded criteria provided by the exam board as a template for assessment. I have also followed our college guidelines on learning objectives to assess what I have asked students to do and hopefully learn. However, it is the ongoing interaction between student and teacher that brings about the most development in a young musician. Learning a musical instrument requires taking small guided steps, and for any musical progress to occur, the learner must become self-reflective about their own skills and understanding.

Traditional instrumental classes focus solely on performance and do not provide any information about the student's musical development prior to the final exam. They do not consider the learning and understanding that has occurred before the assessment. This perspective separates assessment from teaching, as demonstrated by traditional music instrument classes.
(Faultley 2010, Fautley Martin - Appraisal in Music Education, Oxford Music Education, 2010).

This explanation of 'summative' assessment prioritizes the performance during the designated hour of assessment over the learning that has taken place. In education, there are two types of assessment commonly referred to: summative and formative. The debate over which one is more beneficial in education has been extensive. In practice, it appears that formative assessment, which is an ongoing process involving

both the student and the teacher, leads to improvement and success in summative assessment, which is an overall evaluation typically conducted at the end of a module or period of work. The term "formative assessment" is often called "assessment for learning" because its constructive and reflective nature serves as an educational tool itself. It is essential for guiding both students and teachers in identifying areas for improvement and development. Summative assessment includes tests, exams, grades, etc.

The purpose of formative assessment is to summarize a student's progress in their education, while also focusing on developing and improving the learning process. Formative assessment does not use its results to determine a final grade or judgment of a student's knowledge or abilities, but instead to guide learning. When implemented effectively in the classroom, Assessment for Learning (AfL) promotes deep thinking and reflection rather than simply recalling information. This is achieved through methods such as open questioning, self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher feedback. As a student teacher, I have been frequently questioned by mentors about how I know if my students are actually learning. In my early attempts at teaching classroom music, I primarily focused on delivering facts and instructions without utilizing the valuable opportunities for formative assessment, such as open questioning or peer assessment. According to Dylan Wiliam in an interview for Teacher TV, the fundamental question of AfL is "Did the children learn what I just taught? If not, why not?" This seemingly simple question requires the instructor to answer openly and constructively, and the 10 principles of AFL (Assessment Reform Group 2002) provide a broad overview of how this can be achieved.

Depending on various factors, such

as the current situation and behavioral issues, it can be quite challenging to implement AFL (Assessment for Learning) as intended. Black and Wiliam (1998) emphasize that effective communication is key for formative assessment to be a powerful tool. As a trainee instructor, during my second school placement in a particularly turbulent school, I encountered behavioral problems in the classroom that made it difficult for me to utilize some of the AFL techniques I had been practicing with my well-behaved GCSE students elsewhere. The daily routines for AFL, such as questioning, self and peer assessment, and feedback, were not implemented in the way I was familiar with and seemed more like token gestures. The students were not familiar with these methods, which resulted in them being less effective than they should have been had they been introduced to AFL through a comprehensive school-wide approach.

There is a clear need for a school to adopt a consistent culture of assessment for learning in order for it to be effective in the music classroom. The temptation may be to "improve" a lesson by using a few superficial assessment for learning techniques such as peer assessment, etc. just to pass an observation or OFSTED review. However, the underlying principle of assessment for learning is that the student takes more responsibility for their own learning through the constant use of self and peer assessment, receiving feedback and dealing with challenging, thought-provoking questions.

The thoughts of AfL should serve as the basis for instruction, rather than empty, ritualistic mechanisms or novelty additions. The Assessment reform group emphasizes that "Assessment for learning should be recognized as central to classroom practice" and should involve both

teachers and students in reflecting on classroom activity and making decisions about progress towards learning goals and objectives. AFL is also important for teachers to assess their own methods and ask "Did they learn what I just taught them?" If the teaching practice is ineffective, it must be adjusted and improved, and AFL should be part of effective planning for teaching and learning (Assessment reform group, 2002). "The assessment judgments of teachers do matter, they are essential to the successful development of every child in learning music, and, as a number of recent initiatives observe, every child matters" (Faultley, 2010). The Assessment Reform Group (2002, p.2) defines assessment for learning as '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.'

A Assessment Reform Group ( 2002 ) and other researchers such as Casbon and Spackman ( 2005 ) and Black, et al ( 2002 ) have identified various strategies that support effective assessment in the classroom. In this assignment, I will focus on four of these strategies that I have personally used while teaching music: setting goals and sharing criteria, questioning, peer and self-assessment, and teacher feedback. I will use these strategies to explain what assessment for learning is and how it applies to musical education. By setting goals and sharing criteria, the teacher ensures that students know what they are expected to achieve by the end of the lesson (School Curriculum Assessment Authority, SCAA, 1997). This allows students to assess their own success at the end of the lesson (Weeden

et al, 2002). The teacher should also assess what the students have previously learned and their current level in order to set achievable goals and provide motivation (James, 2000 and SCAA, 1997).Q11 is about understanding the requirements for public evaluations, and I have used these as a basis for designing several of my lesson plans, as they align with the marking criteria specified in the AQA GCSE curriculum.

It was helpful for me to convert these standards into language that students can easily understand. Questioning is an important part of assessing learning, and as a new teacher, I have sought advice from colleagues on how to do it effectively. Many teachers use questions that only require the recall of information to provide an answer. However, as Stobart and Gipps point out, students cannot demonstrate understanding by simply repeating facts. Assessment for learning focuses on the process, not just the final result, so questions should promote knowledge and understanding through higher-order thinking. According to Bloom's taxonomy, recalling knowledge is considered a lower-level skill. By adjusting the complexity of a question and the expectations for an answer, a teacher can encourage higher-order skills and thinking.

In my music lessons for KS3, I had to teach notation by explaining note values and pitch. To engage the students and assess their understanding, I used a questioning technique that involved using notes rather than numbers. According to Black, et al. (2002), teachers are not just presenters of information but also guides for exploration. In order to develop my own teaching skills, I am working on asking probing and exploratory questions that prompt students to apply and analyze even basic knowledge and facts.

These questions can also be used to assess students' prior knowledge (Black and Wiliam, 1998) and their own perspectives on a topic. Questions are also useful for providing feedback (Black, et al.).

According to (2002), asking ad-lib questions while students are working encourages deeper thought and provides immediate feedback. The way questions are asked can also influence how students respond. (2002) suggests implementing a 'no hands up' policy, where students are expected to have an answer to share with the class if called upon by the teacher. This approach allows more students to participate and engage in the question and answer session. Different students will have varying levels of willingness to participate based on their personality type. In my music lessons, I have found that presenting a question, allowing time for thought, and then evaluating student responses without relying on the hands-up approach is a more effective and valuable technique.

The responses and ideas can be obtained through methods such as asking a student by name and asking a peer to comment on their response, or by using the mini-whiteboard method where the entire class can answer a closed question simultaneously. However, my initial attempts at this formative assessment for learning (AfL) method were poorly planned because the closed nature of the questions I used led some students to give me answers they thought I wanted to hear, rather than engaging in a dialogue that revealed their true understanding. Therefore, I believe that the focus should always be on the student critically examining their own understanding by tackling open-ended questions. Black and Wiliam (1998) argue that a common flaw in questioning practice is that teachers fail to

allow enough processing time when asking questions. Without reflective thinking time built into the questioning process, the only answers that can reasonably be expected are factual, knowledge-based, and limited in their potential for demonstrating learning through exploration and evaluation (Black and Wiliam, 1998). The lesson may have a sense of pace and excitement, but it will only involve a limited number of students answering rapid, fact-based, short-answer questions.

According to Shirley Clarke (2005), she suggests increasing waiting time during classroom questioning by indicating the idea of taking time and using a no-hands up approach. She encourages the students to not respond immediately, but instead take two minutes to think about why Mozart suddenly changed key at bar 27. Clarke (2005) asserts that changing the students' perception of what the classroom is and how they should be involved in the process will result in longer and more confident responses. This variety of responses and explanations will promote critical thinking and learning, while also reducing the lack of response from those who lack confidence. In my second school placement, I was given an assessment policy that briefly covered the expected aspects of Assessment for Learning (AFL). According to this document, "expert questioning gauges understanding" (Hamilton community college, 2010). However, I would suggest that questioning in the classroom is also a means to stimulate thinking when used appropriately.

According to Black et Al (2003), it is necessary to spend more effort on asking important questions that explore critical issues in order to enhance students' understanding. Shirley Clarke (2005) suggests that effective inquiry should be planned beforehand in order to expand students' comprehension beyond simply recalling facts or

knowledge. Blooms taxonomy states that closed recall of facts is a lower-level thinking skill, while analysis or evaluation requires higher-level thinking and involvement. Therefore, pre-designed inquiry promotes thoughtful and reflective dialogue to stimulate and explore understanding (Black and Wiliam 1998). Through well-structured framing and the allocation of thinking time, all students have the opportunity to develop and express their ideas.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Stobart and Gipps (1997, p.15) argue that assessment is only truly formative if students are involved in the process, which necessitates self-assessment as the third strategy. By allowing independent learning where students take active responsibility for their own learning, self-assessment becomes a critical tool in Assessment for Learning and Achievement (AFLA).

According to Black, et Al. ( 2002 ), personal contemplation on advancement is only possible when students fully understand objectives. This is supported by Shirley Clarke ( 2005 ), who presents a model for enabling students to assess their own success in relation to clearly defined learning aims. The Assessment Reform Group ( 2002 ) suggests that AFL should enhance students' ability to self-assess, enabling them to become "reflective and self-managing". By establishing well-defined learning goals, the process can also avoid damaging students' confidence and focus primarily on areas for improvement in the future. For instance, in my GCSE music classes, I can use self-assessment to ensure that students objectively evaluate their own composition work, referring to the AQA marker criteria which provide reliable benchmarks for success in the unit of work.

By comprehending what they should be learning, individuals can evaluate what they need to do to achieve their goals.

Self-assessment is a skill that needs to be taught and regularly utilized, but in my limited experience, it should be integrated into lesson planning to fulfill its purpose.

PEER ASSESSMENT

In addition to self-assessment, peer assessment is also a powerful learning tool. Cowie (2005) points out that students are often more likely to understand feedback language used by their peers. Additionally, students may feel more confident and comfortable when receiving feedback from their peers compared to a teacher (Black, et al., 2002). However, it is important not to encourage students to compare themselves to others as this could negatively impact their confidence and self-esteem.

The Dfes counsel instructs that students do not become self-evaluative overnight, and in my own practice it has taken time and commitment to self and peer assessment to move away from simple competition in the classroom towards more valuable collaborative learning activity. The focus for peer and self-assessment should be on the quality of the work produced and ways to improve it rather than just 'marking' each other's work.

Feedback

Teacher feedback can be considered formative when it helps students understand how to improve next time. If feedback, written on the bottom of an essay for example, only gives a grade or score out of 10, the student has no idea how to improve. However, if a teacher provides clear guidance for potential next steps or areas for development, this is valuable for all students, regardless of ability. It also avoids the comparison effect and focuses on personal improvement.

Focusing on the "grade" of a piece of work can easily demotivate a pupil with low ability. This is especially true in

GCSE music, where the range of students admitted to the class varies greatly from those who have had years of private instrumental tuition to those whose only experience with practical music making is in the music classroom. By providing careful feedback, a teacher can prevent the negative responses and feelings of helplessness that can arise during a music lesson when faced with difficulty or a low grade. Feedback plays a crucial role in assessment for learning, as it has a significant impact on students' learning. There are two types of feedback: normative, which involves giving grades and comparing against a statistical average, and formative, which involves giving constructive comments. Weaver (2006) emphasizes that feedback is an effective way to alert students to their strengths and weaknesses and provide information on how to improve.

The term "closing the spread" pertains to the discrepancy between the current state of a student and their desired learning outcome (Black and Wiliam, 1998). Evaluating feedback and assessment data allows both students and instructors to determine appropriate next steps. A research conducted by Martinez and Martinez (1992) discovered that normative feedback, such as grades and marks, had a detrimental impact on student learning. Black and Wiliam (1998) also highlighted a tendency to overly emphasize marks and evaluation, which did not offer helpful guidance for future improvement. For effective learning to occur, feedback must involve constructive dialogue and comments between the teacher and the student. Such feedback encourages discussion and further enhances the learning process (Maclellan, 2001).

Traditionally, the education system is primarily focused on grades, making it challenging to deviate from that. Students always want to know their grades. Effective feedback can have

a highly positive impact on both confidence and motivation (Weaver, 2006).