Ofqual Public Sentiment 2021
The findings of a study commissioned by Ofqual and conducted by YouGov exploring perceptions of arrangements for assessing and grading students in 2021.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This report presents the findings of a study commissioned by Ofqual and conducted by YouGov, which explored perceptions around the arrangements for assessing and grading students in 2021. This report should be read alongside the background information document for detailed information on the method, samples and processes. A report of public perceptions for qualifications that Ofqual regulates can also be found in Ofqual’s published Annual Perceptions Surveys, of which wave 20 also looks at views for qualifications in 2021. A brief overview of the purpose, design and method is provided in this report.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, alternative arrangements were put in place for assessments and grading in 2021. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) commissioned YouGov to undertake a series of surveys to track perceptions of the arrangements for assessments and grading in 2021. Survey fieldwork took place over four waves between March to September 2021, collecting initial perceptions in wave 1 (March), pre-assessments perceptions in wave 2 (May), post-assessments perceptions in wave 3 (July) and post-results perceptions in wave 4 (September). Respondents comprised representative samples of key stakeholder groups: senior leaders in schools, teachers, students, parents, employers, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the general public.
The objective of the research was to explore public and stakeholder perceptions and confidence in relation to arrangements for assessments and grading in England in 2021, for a range of qualifications: GCSEs; A levels; BTECs, Cambridge nationals and other similar vocational qualifications; Professional qualifications; Tech Awards and Tech Levels; and Functional Skills. The research was conducted in response to the fact that changes to assessments were instated as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Specifically, the survey explored issues related to:
- Awareness of arrangements for grading students in 2021;
- Views on grades in the context of 2021 and in the context of ‘before the pandemic’, about issues related to utility and dependability of grades, and indications of proficiency;
- Views about teacher judgements;
- Views about the arrangements for appeals in 2021; and
- Overall perceptions of confidence.