The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the fairness of the direct assessment of practical work in the A level Sciences

The assessment of A level science practical skills is an important part of the qualifications and has been approached in a number of different ways since the qualifications began in 1951. This has included coursework, practical examinations and the current approach of an endorsement to the overall A level grade indicating competence in practical skills. The global COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 caused widespread disruption to education including partial school closures and students had their learning transferred to remote means. There was widespread discussion about the impact of the pandemic on the fairness of high-stakes assessments in 2020 and 2021 when public exams were cancelled. This discussion continued for assessments in 2021-22 even though exams did take place in summer 2022.
This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fairness of the direct assessment of practical work in the A level sciences. This investigation included research into the impact of the pandemic on the delivery of A level practical work and the fairness of any impacts.
Analysis using appropriate statistical methods showed that partial school closures and remote learning prevented teachers from delivering the same amount and type of practical work as normal. In addition, public health restrictions further affected the ability of teachers to deliver practical work. The method of assessment in light of the cancellation of exams in 2021, Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs), resulted in an inevitable focus on theory work that could be assessed by teachers to provide the required evidence for TAGs. The rules for the assessment of A level science practical skills were changed to facilitate the award of the Practical Endorsement in situations where it was not possible for students to complete all the required practical activities as long as they had met the Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC). Analysis showed that survey respondents considered this approach to be fair in a broad sense even if students did not have the same opportunities for practical work as other students in different schools and colleges or in their year of assessment compared with those in other years. This was because the circumstances of the pandemic were no-one’s fault and no-one set out for it to be unfair. Teachers had done their best in these circumstances. Further consideration of fairness in light of Nisbet and Shaw’s typology of fairness (2020) allowed the interpretation that it was not possible to fully distinguish between the six senses of fairness described and that survey respondents and that the senses of fairness, where identified, were not differentially impacted over the course of the pandemic.
It is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic did impact on the delivery of A level science practical work and its assessment. The amount and type of practical work that provided evidence for the assessment of the CPAC varied between schools and colleges and also between years of assessment. Any impact on fairness is considered to be acceptable as the changes to the rules for the assessment allowed these differences. The circumstances of the pandemic could not be helped and teachers did their best in often challenging circumstances. This view did not allow for the full identification of the senses of fairness in Nisbet and Shaw’s typology (2020) and there was not differential impacts where differences were identified.

Keywords: MEA 2022