Blogs on 'Research'

This blog by Dr. Tom Benton, Principal Researcher at Cambridge’s Research Division, examines the complexities of comparing GCSE subject difficulties using Ofqual’s interactive grade distribution data.

This November, research from the Cambridge Digital Assessment Programme will be presented at the 25th AEA-Europe conference. In this blog, Research and Thought Leadership Lead Sarah Hughes summarises the research her team will present at this global event, all of which focusses on digital assessment.

This September a range of delegates from Cambridge University Press & Assessment attended a conference held between BERA and WERA in Manchester. In this blog, Principal Researcher, Dr Jackie Greatorex, summarises the research presented by Cambridge at this global event.

In this blog, Cambridge researcher Santi Lestari, explores the differences between handwriting and typing in high-stakes school exams, focusing on score comparability, marking biases, text characteristics, and composing processes. You will gain insights into the impact of digital exams and the some of the key considerations required for a smooth transition from paper to digital formats.

Recently, Cambridge researcher Elinor Lieber attended the British Educational Research Association (BERA)’s annual conference for the first time. In this blog, Elinor describes her experiences and details some of the key takeaways from the event.

The second part of this two-part blog series, by former teacher and Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, James Beadle, further explores some key thematic questions and trends that teachers should ask of any AI platform they are considering using for assessment.

The first part of this two-part blog series, by former teacher and Senior Professional Development Manager at The Assessment Network, James Beadle, suggests key thematic questions that teachers should ask of any AI platform they are considering using for assessment.

The Assessment Network have launched a new workshop to help practitioners understand the fundamentals of research to empower their assessments. We spoke with the course trainers Dr Sylvia Vitello, Dominika Majewska, and Emma Walland, about their research careers, and discussed why research remains a cornerstone of great assessment practice.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is valued by universities because it teaches skills which are likely to be useful for undergraduate study, such as research, critical thinking, and evaluation. In this blog we investigate whether students taking an EPQ tend to have better outcomes at HE.

As we might expect, there are both similarities and differences in mathematics teaching in England and the US. If we want to understand the differences, it is useful to look at the way that mathematics has been taught in the past and how such teaching has influenced teaching today. In this blog and the accompanying time lines we explore the main events and influences in mathematics education in the two countries.

In the latest blog in our series on outline principles for the future of education, Tim Oates CBE discusses and explores how reforming qualifications and assessment and implementing massive change to the system could affect the education sector as a whole.

In the latest blog in our series on outline principles for the future of education, Tim Oates CBE takes a look at the history of GCSEs in England to understand how the introduction of the qualification has benefitted young people.

Qualifications are central to key processes in societies and economies around the world and we should see their delivery as a public good, Tim Oates CBE argues in the latest blog in our series on outline principles for the future of education.

Over the last 12 months existing digital platforms used to deliver English learning and assessment have been fully road tested, but what does this mean for the teacher of the future? To answer this question we look at the types of technology that are making an impact in language education.

In our latest future of education blog we explore how theory and evidence in relation to cognitive science has the potential to benefit learning and teacher practices.

In this week's principles for the future of education blog Tim Oates CBE examines education reform in terms of how, when and what. 

Following the All Party Parliamentary Group for Oracy’s 'Speak for Change' report, Tim Oates examines the synthesis of the evidence on oracy as a vital part of high-quality schooling.

As the call and need for digital assessment continues to grow, across Cambridge Assessment we are actively exploring what qualifications purely designed for delivery and taking in a digital format might look like.

Could more continuous assessment make the high-stakes GCSE and A Level exam system in England more robust? Tom Bramley explores the idea of relying on more teacher assessment in the second part of a blog series on the robustness and resilience of the exam system.

The coronavirus pandemic has made many people question whether the exam system in England is sufficiently robust or resilient. In a two part blog series Tom Bramley looks at the robustness of online assessment and teacher assessment.

Tim Oates Director of Assessment Research and Development pays tribute to Professor Jane Mellanby, who passed away on 08 February 2021, and reflects on our sense of Jane.

There is clear insight to be drawn from past crises, and an opportunity to not just catch-up on learning after the impact of Covid, but actually to improve student attainment now and in the future.

We’ve undertaken a comprehensive study of Repeatedly High Performing Jurisdictions around the world and found that among these countries, those that don’t assess externally at the end of basic secondary education are the real minority.

It is not possible to discuss one aspect of an education system without considering the potential implications for other parts. We have found a way of navigating these debates and joining the dots.

New research from Cambridge Assessment looks at the relationship between learning music and academic achievement in the context of secondary school students in England.

On-screen testing had already been an area of increasing interest for assessment experts before the events of 2020. The challenge of making means of assessment accessible to disparate cohorts of students has only accelerated with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Textbooks, statistics and error are central themes of research at Cambridge Assessment. So, I was intrigued when Paul Morris’ article “Misunderstandings and omissions in textbook accounts of effect sizes” popped through my letterbox. This is interesting in the context of research we have conducted ourselves at Cambridge Assessment.

More than a million students will receive GCSE and A Level grades this summer, but in a far from normal way. Tim Oates, Director of Assessment Research and Development, explains how we should support this year's cohorts to focus on the next stage of their education on results day.

Practical cookery, the creation of prepared food dishes from raw ingredients, is a life skill. The extent to which it is taught in schools and incorporated into high stakes assessment has an impact upon whether young people emerge into adulthood equipped with the essential skills, knowledge and understanding they need.

How can educational researchers handle anxiety? Will Millard explains how the team at education and youth ‘think and action-tank’ LKMco cope with scrutiny.

We’ve been taking a look at our data to see how well our Cambridge IGCSE students do after completing their Key Stage 4 studies. We wanted to see if there was any evidence that, as some have suggested, IGCSEs are 'easier'?

To say that relationships are important in schools is to both state the obvious and challenge the prevailing narrative of educational priorities.

In response to a suggestion that International GCSEs (IGCSEs) are 'easier' than reformed GCSEs, our researcher Tom Benton looked into the methods used in the original research by Datalab.

What is a Rasch user? Tom Bramley reports from the 13th UK Rasch user group as the annual psychometric modelling meeting returns to Cambridge Assessment.

As the Centre for Education Economics launches an expanded monthly research digest, guest blogger Lee Crawfurd explains how the discipline of education economics has much to teach mainstream education research.

Simon Child of The Network reflects on his last few years at Cambridge Assessment and tells us what’s keeping him busy in his new role.

Joanna Williamson and David Summers encouraged critical thinking and highlighted how paying attention to research and reflecting on the basics leads to good assessment design at this year's Annual Admissions Conference in Newport, Wales.

Elizabeth Cater, from Cambridge University Press, looks back at where Cambridge Mathematics started, what has been achieved, and where it is going next.

While investigating design challenges for national assessment in this 'accountability era', Sandra Johnson explores international performance surveys which pre-date PISA.

In 2017 we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of formal establishment of research in Cambridge Assessment. Does this mean that, before 1967, there was no research or research discussion at all in the organisation?

Cambridge Mathematics' Lucy Rycroft-Smith discusses the negative effects of grouping students for teaching by their mathematical proficiency and explores some alternatives.

Tim Oates and Martin Johnson took to one of the largest skate parks in Europe to understand how young people learn from each other in this unique outdoor context.

Tim Oates addresses the 'zombie ideas' which misinterpret the success behind the Finnish education system, debunking the myths and accepted truths which 'refuse to die'. Read more.

Twitter's chemistry community sat up and took note of a new report suggesting chemistry undergraduates' maths needs aren't being met before they embark on their studies.

Gender and assessment - surely everything's changed... but it's not clear that it has...

Tim Oates argues that it's time to introduce a Framework for National Assessment to guarantee stability, quality and consensus.

Tim Oates CBE looks to straighten the facts around fears the UK has one of the most assessed school systems in the world.

Tim Oates, Group Director of Assessment Research and Development, says those calling for the end of textbooks need to brush up on their knowledge of education research.

Cambridge Assessment English's Deputy Director of Partnerships, Projects and Policy, Hanan Khalifa, reflects on her first professional visit to the small island with a big Cambridge Assessment relationship.

Tim Oates CBE, looks at some of the reasons why the UK continues to suffer from acute skills shortage in critical areas despite all the efforts to transform vocational education and training.