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    E-asTTle as a catalyst for change : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Education - Teaching and Learning at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Carnegie-Harding, Susan
    This thesis studies the introduction and use of the formative assessment tool e-asTTle (Assessment for Teaching and Learning) in a low decile, high Māori school and the impact it has on teacher practice and student achievement. The project’s aim was to identify if teachers, through using the data from the tool, moved to an evidence based teaching model which supported increased student achievement in reading and mathematics. Identifying a major shift in teaching practice and corresponding rise in student success would support the assertion unpinning the study, that e-asTTle is a catalyst for change. The data for this study was gathered during the first quarter of the school year. Teachers of Year 7, 8 and 9 students volunteered to complete a confidential online survey. The focus of the survey was to identify previous and current assessment practices, changes to practice and prompted teachers to reflect on the usefulness of data in supporting their teaching practice. Beginning of the year and mid-year student assessment score data in reading and mathematics was gathered and compared to identify shifts in achievement of each year group. These shifts were then compared to e-asTTle nationally expected shifts to identify the level of progress. The results suggest that the introduction of the e-asTTle tool into the school supported teachers to change to formative assessment, evidence-based teaching practice. This change had a positive effect on student achievement with accelerated progress occurring in reading and mathematics. However, the results also identified a much lower level of progress for Year 7 students, which is consistent with trends identified in national research data on the transitioning of students between primary and secondary schools. Based on this data a recommendation was made to study the transitioning of students between the local primary schools and the study school, and the impact it may be having on learning and achievement, particularly in mathematics. Should the results of the study support it, a programme could be put into place that met identified student needs and supported their successful integration into the school. Although evidence of accelerated progress met the study’s brief, the continued low level of achievement of the students in reading compared not just to all schools but to other decile one, high Māori roll schools, is a concern that needs to be addressed.
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    The new English curriculum : a study of text complexity in reading and written English : a thesis submitted as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education, Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Capper, Hilary
    This research examines the teaching methods in a Year 7 distance education English programme in relation to text complexity in reading and written English. It considers student performance, processes, resources and teaching strategies. The research focuses on the assessment and teaching of text complexity in reading and written English in relation to student aptitude. It explores how the students' needs were met in the years 1996-1997 and considers the implications for teachers of the new English curriculum in relation to the assessment and teaching of text complexity. Consideration is also given to criticism of the new English curriculum especially where it is relevant to the teaching of text complexity in reading and written English. The thesis therefore has two aspects to it. Firstly the criticisms of the new curriculum and the English curriculum, in particular, are examined and the implications these criticisms may have for the teaching of text complexity are considered. Secondly a Year 7 English programme developed in distance mode at The Correspondence School is researched in light of the requirements of the new English curriculum as it relates to text complexity in reading and written English.
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    Rethinking assessment : the challenging issues for schools and teachers : a thesis submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration, Massey University, Albany
    (Massey University, 1998) Hill, Jan
    This thesis examines how four urban primary schools used changes to their assessment practices as a means to improve the learning opportunities and outcomes of their students. In 1993, a new national curriculum was introduced into New Zealand schools and this was accompanied by legislation and guidelines mandating new requirements in assessment. These reforms were occurring against a backdrop of burgeoning developments in assessment internationally. The study documents how the four schools responded to the new demands, to the challenges posed by alternative approaches to assessment and how they were able to incorporate and build on their previous assessment practices. Action research was selected as the methodology and was used both by the schools and the researcher on two distinct yet overlapping levels. lt gave the schools the opportunity to take ownership of the issues that emerged and greater control over the research process. The data gathering strategies woven into the programme included group discussions, individual interviews, observations, questionnaires, document analysis and a Help Desk which formalised contact with the schools between school-based visits and workshops and provided the researcher with valuable ongoing insights into the work of the schools. The thesis incorporates an analysis of methodological issues relating to collaboration, the tension between first and second order domains of action research and difficulties the schools experienced in relation to the action research process itself. The data revealed a number of emerging themes. Summative rather than formative assessment practices dominated the aspects of assessment the schools selected to work on as a result of their baseline data collection. All of the schools put new school-wide recording systems in place. This had the most impact on the practices of the teachers who, in the past, had assessed in an ad hoc way, often based on 'gut reaction'. For many teachers, it was first time they had investigated and understood assessment theory. The data also highlighted that many do not have a level of technical assessment expertise that allows then to design basic assessment tasks that they know to be valid measures or to analyse and use the results with confidence. Although the common orientation of the teachers was towards a learner-centred philosophy, there is a considerable gap between theory and practice. Rethinking assessment practices provided some of the teachers with a vehicle for shifting the locus of control in their classrooms. Traditional reporting practices were also challenged and possibilities emerged for new assessment partnerships with parents. For some teachers, giving honest feedback to students and parents, in particular, poses a dilemma. The transfer of assessment information both within and between schools remains a possible barrier to student achievement. The thesis concludes that, overall, the curriculum and assessment changes appear to have had a positive impact on the learning and teaching programmes in the four schools, but that much professional development work remains to be done if both contemporary assessment theory and policy are to translate into classroom practice.