The Importance Of Adapting Teaching To A Specific Set Of Gcse And A Level Assessment Objectives

During my years as an examiner and A level moderator, I have experienced first hand how students grades can be adversely affected by a teachers unfamiliarity with the specific assessment objectives of the module for which a student is being prepared.

There have been many occasions when, as a marker or a moderator , I have been presented with what on the surface are extremely good academic essays. Clearly students have been prepared meticulously and demonstrate a deep analytical understanding of the subject texts. All too often however I have had no option but to reduce substantially the marks, threatening the candidate s grade. This is because some teachers are still not adhering to the particular assessment objectives set for each module by the exam board. For instance, an essay that looks analytically at how Williams A Streetcar Named Desire reflects Williams own life as reflected in the character of Blanche will not score highly where context is not assessed. Similarly, it would be fruitless to discuss a feminist reading of An Inspector Calls and look at the treatment of the character Sheila as compared to Eva where there are no marks at all available for context or critical views.

When preparing students for coursework and examinations, it should be as much about satisfying the mark scheme as knowledge of the text.