November 27, 2008
Thursday
Science GCSE dumbing down
Several newspapers report on the assertion that science GCSEs are easier than the equivalent "O" levels were in the 1960s. Here is the Daily Mail version which includes a great question from the 1960s.
Even I could get all three questions from the recent paper right. They are questions that almost anyone who is literate with a little bit of general knowledge could answer. Increasingly the better schools in the private sector take International GCSEs in preference to the devalued ordinary ones.
Posted by James Bartholomew • Indexed in Education
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Hi,
I am a Science teacher and really enjoyed your book which I found very convincing.
However I have some reservations about the exam questions article from the Daily Mail. The questions are not a representative sample of modern Science GCSE papers.
I would guess that they are from a lower tier 'Core Science' paper - the maximum grade available for such a paper is a C. I am currently teaching Higher tier additional chemistry to my top set year 11 group. The questions are far more challenging that those suggested by the Mail (surprise, surprise).
I don't particularly dispute the fact that exams have been dumbed down but wish that the papers would provide a better analysis.
PS The answers from the Mail to the 1950's question are wrong. The question wanted the weight not the mass of the chemicals left on the filter paper. Weight is a force. I guess the GCSE's are not the only thing that is dumbing down.
Posted by: Jimcuthbert at November 28, 2008 06:20 AM