Moderation and consistency of teacher judgement: teachers’ views

Abstract

Major curriculum and assessment reforms in Australia have generated research interest in issues related to standards, teacher judgement and moderation. This article is based on one related inquiry of a large-scale Australian Research Council Linkage project conducted in Queensland. This qualitative study analysed interview data to identify teachers’ views on standards and moderation as a means to achieving consistency of teacher judgement. A complementary aspect of the research involved a blind review that was conducted to determine the degree of teacher consistency without the experience of moderation. Empirical evidence was gained that most teachers, of the total interviewed, articulated a positive attitude towards the use of standards in moderation and perceived that this process produces consistency in teachers’ judgements. Context was identified as an important influential factor in teachers’ judgements and it was concluded that teachers’ assessment beliefs, attitudes and practices impact on their perceptions of the value of moderation practice and the extent to which consistency can be achieved.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge that the project from which these ideas are derived was funded by the Australian Research Council Linkage Program and we wish to further acknowledge the involvement and support provided by our Partners, the Queensland Studies Authority, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment of the Republic of Ireland and Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. We wish to also acknowledge the very important contributions made by other researchers on the project including Lenore Adie (Queensland University of Technology) and Stephanie Gunn, Peta Colbert and Rachelle Wyatt-Smith (Griffith University).