BURA Collection:http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/328642026-04-18T05:11:18Z2026-04-18T05:11:18ZHigh-stakes? 10-11-year-old children’s stories of primary school assessmentSoma, Bhavisha Rupahttp://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/331642026-04-18T02:00:27Z2025-01-01T00:00:00ZTitle: High-stakes? 10-11-year-old children’s stories of primary school assessment
Authors: Soma, Bhavisha Rupa
Abstract: ‘HELP. I’m a failure. I can’t do this.’ (words within a picture by Anay, aged 10)
‘Tests are a great way of helping children know what they need help on. They help teachers to be able to help students…’ (words within a picture by Jayesh, aged 10)
My interest lies in children’s perceived experiences of educational assessment in primary schools in England. I track back in time to track the journey of where we are today – arguably a high-stakes system of assessment that has led to the datafication of teaching (Stevenson, 2017) and of children. Children are seemingly being trained to pass tests – primarily in English and Maths – at the expense of other curriculum subjects, learning outcomes and their mental health and well-being. My research explores the stories (Clandinin and Connelly, 2000) of primary-aged children in relation to assessment using an experiential narrative inquiry approach (Andrews, Squire and Tambouku, 2008) and multiple methods: questionnaire; pictures and/or free-writing; and semi-structured group interviews. Through this research, I reveal a unique insight and interpretation of primary-aged children’s stories through their own spoken and written words and pictures.
Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London2025-01-01T00:00:00Z