Oral Defence: Ms. Melanie-Marie Haywood
Mar 25, 2020 | Views:209034 |
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Wednesday 25th March, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.
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This study explored the relationship between the National Certificate of Secondary Education (NCSE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) in the subjects of Mathematics and Language Arts/English. These two assessments are standardised assessments carried out on a national and regional scale respectively. The researcher investigated this relationship using a mixed methodology which allowed for the analysis of test scores while gathering qualitative data to understand the experiences and perspectives surrounding the two assessments.
The researcher conducted correlations between test results for students in sixteen (16) schools who completed the NCSE Level One assessment in Mathematics and Language Arts/English between 2007-2015. Corresponding results were used for students who wrote CSEC Mathematics and English A between 2009-2017. The school sample was a stratified random sample where strata included: educational district and type of school ensuring that all seven (7) educational districts were sampled, and that all types of schools represented in Trinidad and Tobago were included. Test results were analysed using basic and inferential statistical methods including frequencies, crosstabs, and correlation coefficients.
The researcher administered a survey to 202 participants to attain insight into the individual student’s personal history, and attitude toward schooling. Findings showed that a statistically significant relationship exists between NCSE Level One and CSEC in Mathematics and English/Language Arts respectively. An inverse relationship exists in the higher grade levels where student frequencies were lower at NCSE, and were higher at CSEC. In the lower grade levels, results showed a parallel relationship between student frequencies between the NCSE and CSEC exams, where patterns for student numbers failing the both exams were similar.
Qualitative and quantitative data also revealed that the overall buy-in for NCSE is significantly lower than that of CSEC. The study also found that attitude toward schooling is a complex variable that does not necessarily presuppose improved academic performance. Statistical analysis also revealed that gender and type of school are two strong variables in the determining of academic performance. Findings also revealed a rank in the performance of schools where single-sex denominational schools are highest performers, and government schools are lowest performers.
Ms. MELANIE-MARIE HAYWOOD
Ms. MELANIE-MARIE HAYWOOD is an international educator with a passion for research and teacher training. She has attained professional qualifications in philosophical, and education studies, with a Master of Arts (MA) in Curriculum and Instruction, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education.
She has been in the field of education for over nine (9) years having worked in primary, secondary, and Higher Education (HE) in both the Caribbean and the United Kingdom (UK). She has facilitated the growth and quality enhancement of Higher Education provision in Trinidadand Tobago and the UK for a number of years working as a Consultant, and lead Administrator in academia, with particular strengths in research and quality enhancement in HE. She started an Educational Research Consultancy in 2015, which has been able to facilitate the bridging of some gaps, which have been identified in Higher Education in Trinidad and Tobago - both at the individual student level, and the institutional level.
Melanie-Marie currently serves as an Academic Development Manager at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), University of London, where she is responsible for the improvement of effective teaching and learning across the Institute. She is also a co-editor on an up and coming international journal for festival culture, and education studies. She has immersed herself in black studies in the UK working with non-governmental organisations, universities, and other research institutions for the development of a stronger education system that benefits the black population in the UK. Her major research interests are comparative education studies for the benefit of the black and other ethnic minority populations in Secondary and Higher Education.
Wednesday 25th March, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.
CLICK HERE to R.S.V.P. via ZOOM
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