Achi news desk-
A recent report by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) evaluating the 2023 approach to assessment measured the satisfaction of students, teachers and SQA staff.
A significant proportion of the students and teachers said that the appeals process was unfair. Many noted that because appeals did not consider student performance on coursework or exams, they were little more than a check for clerical errors.
As the SQA summarizes, it was “very common for learners to say that they see the appeals system in 2023 as unfair”.
In fact, even students who had a successful appeal reported concerns: only 37% of these students felt the process was fair, while 44% thought it was operationally unfair.
Overall, only 14% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the appeals process in 2023. Almost 60% disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 27% landed considerable on the fence.
I feel this year is a sad excuse for an appeal process as I am still struggling a lot with the fallout from COVID and have never sat any exams before my National 5s.
-Student attention
Teachers’ responses painted a very similar picture: 45% said they felt the appeals process was unfair for learners, with only 28% saying it was fair.
Students and teachers were concerned that the appeals process did not consider students’ previous work.
When an appeal is just a clerical/marker check, it is almost pointless.
-Teacher’s comment
In fact, many who submitted written responses said it shouldn’t even have been referred to as an “appeal process.”
“Calling the process an ‘appeal’ was misleading and disingenuous,” wrote one practitioner.
“Reducing the process to a clerical check, dismissing any supporting evidence produced by schools, made it impossible for student attainment to be considered in the same way as student attainment under pre-COVID arrangements.”
Another added that the process was “purely an administrative effort” to check that scores are being added correctly and catch any typos in the data entry process.
Stop calling them ‘appeals’…this is a lie. It is not an appeal.
– Teacher’s comment
Students said they wanted an appeals system that took into account the impact of the pandemic, which left many students unable to complete basic lessons in earlier courses that were part of their SQA exams.
Read more:
What do the latest reports on exam fairness tell us about the SQA?
Student petitions to fix ‘unfair’ exam appeals
Students and staff said it would have been fairer to allow alternative evidence – such as past coursework and preliminary results – to form the basis of appeal decisions. In some cases, teachers referred to the additional workload this could create but, as the SQA summary noted, this was a minority view.
Similarly, the SQA report found that “a small number of respondents” saw the appeals process as fair.
As one teacher put it, giving no weight to alternative evidence “signifies that you don’t trust professional teachers to do their jobs.”
The criteria for submitting appeals and the SQA’s decision-making process have been the subject of controversy for years, with students submitting petitions to resubmit alternative evidence and calling for more transparency about why appeals are unsuccessful.
I’m a fairly anxious person, and it seems that this year’s exam regime has only supported people who can stay calm under pressure. I don’t think my degree reflects what I can do.
-Student attention
Students and teachers highlighted similar issues with the SQA’s Examinations Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service (EECCS), which allows extra support for students affected by issues such as bereavement, illness or other circumstances on the day of the exam.
The responses indicated that more clarity about what was considered “exceptional circumstances” and how to apply for assistance would have been useful. Although 45% of students said they understood the service, 35% were unsure and a further 20% said they did not understand.
If I, as a highly experienced practitioner do not understand [the appeals process]what hope do we have of communicating it to parents and pupils in a clear and concise manner?”
-Teacher’s comment
Although teachers were more likely to report that they were satisfied with the EECCS (51%) or that it was fair to their students (54%), this left almost half of those who reported problems with it. The main concerns were confusion about where the policy applies.
Read more:
Exam results: how does the SQA decide my grades?
SQA appeals and success rate falling in 2023
Some said that the guidance from the SQA was “clear enough”, but that this was not being communicated effectively to parents and students.
“Teachers believed one thing, but parents seem to have thought something else. Politicians stepped in and confused things further,” wrote one.
Of those who submitted written comments, more than a third thought the EECCS was unfair, but those who had to use the service for their students said they experienced little difficulty or extra workload .
As it was so different to the previous two years, learners and parents were confused and upset. This puts even more of a burden on teachers to ‘liaise’ between SQA and parents.
-Teacher’s comment
Because of this, some suggested that making competence clearer could benefit learners.
A recurring theme in the survey and written responses was the ongoing impact of Covid-19.
The surveys showed unequivocally that the majority of students and teachers are still struggling to recover from the pandemic. Teachers spoke of students with very little resilience, who suffer large gaps in their knowledge, and whose delayed social and behavioral development is a barrier to attainment.
Of the 3,437 students surveyed, 63% said the Covid-19 pandemic will still have a significant impact on learning in 2023; 50% said they felt it affected the way they were assessed; and 66% said that the pandemic had affected their development.
Only disruptions on the day of the exam qualify as exceptional circumstances, meaning that students could not present these Covid-19 effects to support a request for additional support.
I feel that COVID strongly affected my foundational learning throughout the foundation years and has affected me to this day.
-Student attention
The impact of the pandemic was a concern shared by senior appointees across the sector and SQA staff who took part in the survey: 84% felt the pandemic was still having a significant impact on learning and teaching for some learners, while 49% feels that all learners in Scotland are still struggling with its lasting effects.
The consensus between SQA staff, senior appointees, students and teachers largely stopped there, however. When asked if they felt the 2023 approach to assessing and awarding fairness and credibility was balanced, 93% of staff and appointees agreed or strongly agreed.
There was also a lack of connection between how clearly staff and appointees felt that expectations were communicated compared to how well they were understood. 82% said they felt the national standard was clearly expressed in the course specification, and only 59% felt teachers and lecturers consistently understood the same standards.
Further data from teachers proved this point: 77% agreed or strongly agreed that they had a “good understanding” of the national standard, which left 10% disagreeing and a further 12% unsure.
When asked about the disconnect between SQA staff and stakeholders, and whether the SQA was aware of the concerns of teachers and students before agreeing the policies for 2023, an SQA spokesman said the organization was responding in part to calls for consistency .
“We considered all the findings, and in consultation with stakeholders on the NQ24 Strategic Group, we made the decision to keep the exceptional circumstances and appeal services as they were last year.
“This addresses the call from the education community to keep arrangements consistent and helps maintain the credibility of the qualifications.”
It is unclear how consistency will remain part of the qualifications and assessment framework going forward, given the Scottish Government’s commitment to scrapping and replacing the SQA by 2025.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The SQA’s inspection and evaluation work will inform their activity this year on qualifications and awarding.
“The Scottish Government is committed to replacing the SQA and Education Scotland, and our intention is that the new bodies will be operational at the end of 2025.
“Engagement with young people and teachers provides important evidence and will continue as the new bodies are established.”
