Media 'Underplays' Achievements Of Hard Working Students

Frustrated parents and teachers think the real level of academic achievement by young people in schools and colleges is being overlooked because of claims in the media that good pass rates are the result of easier exams, not hard work. And many students say such claims make them feel annoyed, disappointed, worried and even inferior.

In fact, far from sailing easily through "dumbed down" exams, most students admit to feeling nervous, anxious or panicked whilst preparing for exams, and new research from the MORI Social Research Institute on behalf of Edexcel, the examination awarding body, indicates many may not be telling their parents of the emotional and physical strains of revision.

The new report - Perceptions of the Examination System - shows almost two-thirds of parents believe exams grades have improved over the past 10 years because students work harder than they did a decade ago. It also reveals a 'study culture' among motivated young people, with students not worried they will be teased for studying - instead they report that working hard at school earns them the respect of their peers.

The findings of the research include:

Public perceptions

• Half of parents (51%) and three in five teachers (59%) feel "the media does not recognise students' achievements at exam results time".
• This lack of appreciation is also felt by students, with 57% of GCSE students, 51% of AS level students and 52% of A2 level students agreeing that their achievements are underplayed by the media.
• Claims in the media that exams have been "dumbed down" also impact on the feelings of students. For instance, one in five (21%) GCSE students and around three in ten (29%) of AS level and A2 students say the claims made them feel "inferior".

Student motivation

• The research findings appear to reveal a strong 'study culture' among young people. Three-quarters (75%) of GCSE students disagree they would be teased by friends if they were seen to work hard at school, rising to 86% of AS level students. In fact, two-thirds (66%) of AS level students think they earn respect from peers by working hard at school, rising to seven in 10 (71%) A2 level students. During the research, one student said: "There's not so much of a stigma attached to being intelligent and studying hard. It's more acceptable to want to learn and do well."

Exams

• There is great confidence in the exam system itself. More than four in five (84%) parents have "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of confidence in the exam system - more than those who have confidence in the armed forces (81%), the police (77%) and the legal system (60%). Three-quarters (75%) of students and more than four in five (82%) teachers share this confidence in the exam system.
• More than nine in 10 parents (96%) attribute good exam results to good teaching, and almost as many (93%) credit students' hard work.
• More than three in five parents (62%) say exam results have improved in the past 10 years because students are working harder. Just a quarter (26%) thought the improvement was a result of exams getting easier.
• Overall, fewer teachers than parents point to students working harder as a factor in improved exam results (45%, less than half) but those with the most teaching experience (16 years or more) are more likely than other colleagues to say this has had an effect.

Impact on young people

• The number of students who "felt nervous, panicked, anxious or tearful" while revising for exams was three in five (62%) GCSE students, rising to two-thirds (66%) of AS level and A2 level students. Those getting less sleep than usual was also more than half in all three categories (54% of GCSE students, 66% of AS level students and 61% of A2 level students).
• There is a clear division in how female and male students say revision affects them. For instance, among AS level students less than half of males (46%) say they were "nervous, panicked, anxious or tearful", but almost nine in 10 (86%) females admit to this.
• Among parents, just over half (52%) say they noticed their child was "nervous, panicked, anxious or tearful" whilst revising, and about the same amount (50%) noticed their child getting less sleep. The fact these figures are lower suggests that students are not letting their parents in on the full effect revision is having on them.
• Mums are more likely to notice changes in their child during revision than dads. For instance, two in five dads (44%) say their child appeared "nervous, panicked, anxious or tearful", rising to almost three in five (56%) mums.
• One thing parents and students agree on is that revision makes students "moody and irritable". Three in five (61%) parents, AS and A2 level students say this happened. Slightly fewer GCSE students (56%) agree.

Fiona Johnson, Senior Research Executive at the MORI Social Research Institute, says: "Our findings indicate high levels of confidence in the exam system amongst its key stakeholders - teachers, students and their parents. Motivated young people are working hard - probably, in fact, harder than ever - and our respondents strongly believe that it's this, rather than any 'dumbing down', which accounts for their success."

Commenting on the research findings, John Kerr, Chief Executive of Edexcel, says: "This poll confirms what many of us in the education sector already believe: that our students are working harder than ever and they think it's good to work hard. This is one of the most extensive studies of its kind of students, teachers and parents. Commitment to qualifications across all these groups is extremely encouraging."

Technical details

The research was conducted for Edexcel in two stages between February and August, 2001 and was carried out among five audiences: 501 GCSE students; 506 AS level students; 491 A level students; 500 parents of GCSE, AS and A level students; 550 teachers of GCSE, AS and A level courses.