Action Research in the classroom

Several schools throughout New Zealand have been given an opportunity to study better methods of classroom assessment.

For two years NZQA ran an Action Research Fund for senior secondary school teachers. The reports have now been made available on the NZQA website.

Qualifications Authority researcher Erin Pilcher says, “We supported small-scale projects encouraging teachers to reflect on their classroom practices and to find ways to successfully incorporate assessment for learning into their classroom activities.”

Sandy Goonan (left) from Carmel College, and Marie Martin from Diocesan School for Girls, collaborated on one of the Action Research projects about using graphic organisers to enhance assessment.

The projects selected covered a range of subjects in the senior school including drama, English, history, science, physical education, graphics, and technology.

“Teachers were encouraged to focus on any assessment for learning issues that were of interest or concern to them, their department and/or school. They made changes to their teaching practice or the way they approached a task in their classroom and monitored the results through the year,” Erin says.

The projects investigated various topics such as:

• achievement of Excellence grades;
• employing multiple assessment opportunities;
• peer and self-assessment strategies;
• improving information students received about assessment tasks such as clearer learning objectives and more descriptive feedback;
• use of cognitive tools to analyse text;
• outlining specific steps students can use to work through an assessment task.

The teachers involved were responsible for allocating the research fund, completing a literature review, designing the method and analysis, conducting the research and writing a final report detailing the findings. The NZQA Research team helped where needed.

Teachers gathered data using various methods such as classroom observation, student surveys, group discussions, and analysis of resources and achievement data.

“Results were positive with teachers reporting, for instance, that students were more confident when approaching assessment tasks, had improved understanding of the tasks, and were able to work more independently.

“All teachers involved enjoyed the process and said the projects allowed them to reflect on their teaching and assessment practices. Most intended to continue the strategies in the future.”

NZQA has made the reports publicly available so that other teachers can learn from the studies.

Six reports are available:

• Bloomin’ Excellent: An action research investigation into enhancing students’ essay writing skills in Level 2 English. Lauren Crowe, Anna Blake and Rebecca Quin, Whakatane High School

• Enhancing Assessment with Graphic Organisers Sandy Goonan, Carmel College and Marie Martin, Diocesan School for Girls.

• Look at me, see myself: The use of technology as an effective means of providing constructive feedback to drama students Sylvia Lee, Taupo Nui a Tia College

• Improving student achievement through quality information Fred Kramer, Nelson College

• Self-regulated learning and the National Certificate of Educational Achievement Craig Steed, Freyberg High School, Palmerston North

• Using formative assessment strategies to raise student achievement Ray Burkhill.

The reports are available online.