The survey – which includes responses from 952 Curriculum Leaders and Heads of core subjects in the UK – found that Primary School teachers believe that the biggest concern for their pupils involved remote learning (87%) and remaining engaged (72%), with Secondary School teachers expressing similar concerns – at 53% and 68% respectively.
Although technology has supported teachers throughout the pandemic in a number of ways, many are facing challenges around Formative Assessment. Formative Assessment is the methodology of using assessment as part of the learning process and using assessment data to ensure teaching is adapted to the real-time needs of the learner. Whilst most schools are using some form of Formative Assessment, only six-in-ten (60%) schools say it is going well, and there is concern that the recent upheavals have had a significant, negative impact on assessment.
In fact, a quarter (24%) of teachers highlight time as the biggest barrier to effective Formative Assessment, suggesting that many teachers’ current solutions are time consuming and laborious.
Additionally, a third (33%) of Secondary teachers feeling their pupils were concerned about not receiving regular Formative Assessment. More than one in ten (11%) Primary pupils and almost 1 in 5 (19%) Secondary pupils were worried about not having their formative assessments marked and assessed in a timely manner.
Peter Collison, Head of Formative Assessment and School Platforms for RM says
When looking at what teachers need to ensure that they can make the most of Formative Assessment solutions, it is the quality of educational content that is most important to more than half (58%) of Primary and (52%) Secondary schools. Teachers also desire a flexible toolset for delivering assessments (56%) and view this as more important than something such as auto-marking solutions of quizzes and exams (14%).
Interestingly, post-pandemic there is a move to teachers being more accepting of third-party, educational content – although almost two-thirds (60%) of Primary teachers are focussing on open-source and other free content (versus just 5% of Secondary teachers). Another area of importance for teachers is ensuring they can communicate personal assessment results and goals to stakeholders such as parents, with half (55%) of Primary and eight-in-ten (82%) Secondary teachers viewing that as an ongoing priority. This highlights the importance of teachers being able to personalise digital assessment offerings for pupils and keep parents and the wider school updated on their progress.
Collison continues:
Statistics are sourced from an independent survey commissioned by RM and undertaken in the UK from late-February to mid-March, by the leading specialist research agency, C3 Education. Findings are based on 952 responses from Curriculum Leaders and heads of core subjects in UK schools across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
RM’s technology business unit enables the improvement of education outcomes around the world through the innovative use of existing and emerging technologies. With a heritage dating back almost 50 years, supporting schools, teachers and pupils across the globe – from pre-school to higher education – including examination boards, central governments and other professional institutions. rm.com/education
RM’s technology division is part of the listed company RM plc – the £189m turnover British business, with c. 1,837 employees globally. Established in 1973, RM plc’s Group purpose is to enrich the lives of learners worldwide. rm.com
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