Jocelyn Robson

Gender, ‘bias’, assessment and feedback: analyzing the written assessment of undergraduate history essays

This paper reports on findings relating to a project on gender and essay assessment in HE. It focuses on one aspect of the study: the assessment of and feedback given to two sample essays by 50 historians based at universities in England and Wales. We found considerable variation both as to the classification awarded to the essays and to positive and negative comments made about their quality, supporting the argument that the ‘quality’ of a piece of writing for assessment is ultimately constructed by the reader of the essay and cannot be objectively ascertained. Gender issues emerging from the data are explored in the paper, relating to lecturers’ perceptions of the essays’ qualities; views concerning the way feedback should be presented; and the content and style of feedback given by lecturers on the sample essays. We found that gender constructions were manifested more in presentation than practice. These findings on the situated practice of assessment have implications for the conception of the ‘reliability’ of essay assessment in HE.

Changing Teachers: A Critical Review of Recent Policies Affecting the Professional Training and Qualifications of Teachers in Schools, Colleges and Universities in England.

Abstract Significant policy change in the field of teacher training and development in England has affected teachers in all phases of education over the last decade. Increased government requirements for accountability and scrutiny have resulted in, for example, the introduction of professional standards for teachers in schools, colleges and universities. However, the content of these changes has varied and there are clear differences in their impact on each group of teachers. This article critically reviews the main changes affecting the teaching profession in each sector and clarifies the agencies involved, their roles and origins. The authors conclude that the governments piecemeal approach to teacher training and development has created some serious anomalies. These are illustrated by the current position of the further education teacher, in particular, whose work may overlap with the work of teachers in both of the other sectors.

Re-viewing undergraduate writing: tutors' perceptions of essay qualities according to gender

Abstract Academic assessment of their coursework is of great importance to undergraduate students. Yet little attention has been paid to the perceptions of undergraduate writing that academics draw on in their assessment practices and the ways in which these perceptions may be gendered. This article reports findings from a study that asked lecturers about their opinions concerning the characteristics of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ essays, and analysed the results according to gender. It is argued that, although there were many points on which male and female academics were in agreement, there were some gender differences in the prioritisation of certain (gendered) characteristics of undergraduate writing. Female academics were slightly more concerned with presentational aspects and effort, and male academics more concerned with argument. We discuss the implications of these findings for undergraduate students, arguing that work to improve parity in assessment must involve a challenge to (masculinised) academic culture and values.