British Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2017

British Educational Research Association Annual Conference 2017

Speakers: Gill Elliott, Deputy Director
Ellie Darlington, Research Officer
Nicky Rushton, Research Officer
Carmen Vidal Rodeiro, Senior Research Officer
Martin Johnson, Research Officer
Sylvia Vitello, Research Officer
Date: 05 - 07 Sep 2017 Venue: University of Sussex Sussex House Falmer Brighton BN1 9RH
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Type: Conference Fee: From GBP 235.00

The British Educational Research Association (BERA) will be in Brighton for the third time to host its 43rd annual conference. BERA is a member-led charity which exists to enhance the field of study, the growth of public knowledge and critical understanding, and the application of findings for the improvement of educational policy and practice.

Like BERA, Cambridge Assessment believes that educational research plays a vital role in the continuous improvement of educational and assessment policies and practices. Each year the BERA conference provides a valuable opportunity for researchers to come together, to share their work and to discuss and debate across many educational themes. 

This year marks a particular milestone as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our Research Division, which is now an integral part of the organisation, carrying out theoretical and applied research into many different aspects of assessment. Come and be part of our celebrations at our stand in the exhibition hall.

At this conference we look forward to hearing colleagues from Cambridge Assessment’s Research Division deliver various presentations to tackle the current trends in education and assessment research. Here is the running order:

Tuesday, 5 September 2017 from 14:10 to 14:40 (BST)
Gill Elliott, Deputy Director, is delivering a presentation on Aspects of Writing: challenges and benefits of longitudinal research. She will discuss the history of the project and explain how a one-off study has continued and expanded over 40 years.

Wednesday, 6 September 2017 from 12:10 to 12:40 (BST)
Ellie Darlington, Research Officer, is delivering a presentation on What is non-specialist teacher? She will present key information on challenges around employing non-specialist teachers and explore opportunities on how they can be supported  to improve the quality of their teaching.

Wednesday, 6 September 2017 from 13:10 to 13:40 (BST)
Nicky Rushton, Research Officer and Gill Elliott, Deputy Director are presenting about Spelling errors in 16-year-olds' writing. They will present the most commonly misspelt words from 2004, 2007 and 2014.

Thursday, 7 September 2017 from 09:30 to 10:00 (BST)
Carmen Vidal Rodeiro, Senior Research Officer, is delivering a presentation about Education and employment  destinations of students in England: the value of 14-19 qualifications. She will discuss how different qualifications in Key Stage 4 and 5 can influence a student's progression and route to education, training or employment.

Thursday, 7 September 2017 from 10:35 to 11:05 (BST)
Martin Johnson, Research Officer, is delivering a presentation about What is effective feedback in a professional learning context? A study of how examination markers feed back to each other on their marking performance. He will present his findings from the feedback messages that took place between team leaders and examiners working for a large assessment organisation.

Thursday, 7 September 2017 from 14:00 to 14:30 (BST)
Sylvia Vitello, Research Officer, is delivering a presentation on Foundation or higher tier? Effects of moving from a modular to linear system of GCSE assessment. She will discuss how tiering decisions may be affected by other reforms taking place in England.

Visit the BERA website for more details about the conference and how to register.

Related research articles
In November 2016, Cambridge Assessment hosted a research seminar to launch the report of the 2014 phase of Variations in Aspects of Writing in 16+ English Examinations. The report is the latest phase of a unique study, which has been carried out every 10 years since the 1980s, and explores changes in a range of aspects of students’ writing in the context of formal English examinations between 1980 and 2014. Read more about the Aspects of Writing seminar here.

Also in November 2016, Cambridge Assessment published a Data Byte on Student destinations from Key Stage 5. The Data Byte examines the destinations of students who completed Key Stage 5 in the 2012-13 academic year. Visit the Our Research section of our website to read published materials on student destinations and other education and assessment research.

You can follow us on Twitter @Cam_Assessment.

Related materials

Sussex House Falmer Brighton BN1 9RH