Not missing their targets: Exploring the impact of mock examination feedback practices in an independent boys’ school
11 min read
Katy Manisier, Melissa Glackin and Prof Christine Harrison, King’s College London, UK
Having taught in the state sector for a decade, when I moved to work in an independent school, I was bemused to learn that minimum target grades for GCSE were not used. How did teachers know if classes were on track? How did students gauge their own performance? The following study was conducted to better understand the disparity between this and mainstream practice of setting target grades and then reporting student attainment relative to these.
Study context and aims
This research sought to explore students’ experience of getting mock GCSE science examination (MGSE) feedback. Reforms to education policy over the past 30 years have influenced current assessment and reporting practices in schools, where 90 per cent of students are given target GCSE grades (FFT, 2019). Despite their widespread use, there is little research exploring how target grades affect student motivation, progress, or
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