PE and music are “relatively easy” subjects to choose at Higher, while physics and chemistry are more “difficult”, new Scottish Qualifications Authority data suggests.
Every year the SQA gives subjects a difficulty rating based on how well students performed compared with the other subjects they sat exams in, but concerns have been voiced this year about the impression the ratings give of certain subjects.
The “national ratings”, as they are referred to by the SQA, are not routinely published but have been brought into the public domain by physics teachers, who have tracked the data over time and become increasingly frustrated by the “unnecessarily difficult exams” in their subject.
This, they say, embeds “the impression that physics is hard and only suitable for the most able” - potentially putting some learners off taking the subject.
These teachers would like to see the level of challenge in physics lowered - or the level to be raised for subjects at the other end of the scale.
SQA subject difficulty ratings
However, Dominic Tollan, president of Scotland’s PE teachers’ association SATPE, whose subject has a rating that would suggest it is one of the easiest Highers, said that subjects in different curricular areas assess very different skills and so comparisons are not valid. And this view is echoed by the SQA.
The SQA told Tes Scotland that national ratings “are not a suitable comparison for subjects in different curricular areas (such as physics and PE) because those subjects often assess different underlying skills, knowledge and understanding, and often use different methods of assessment (such as a written paper or a practical performance)”.
It added: “There is no expectation that national ratings are similar across subjects in different curricular areas due to those differences.”
But Stuart Farmer, learning and skills manager at the Institute of Physics in Scotland, said the reality is that the data is used for such comparisons in some schools, and it can have a negative influence on the uptake of physics, with students sometimes discouraged from taking the subject in favour of others where they are deemed likely to get better grades.
National ratings are based on how many grades higher or lower candidates scored on average in a given subject, as compared with the other subjects they sat exams in.
An SQA description of the data states that the figures are “the difference between a candidate’s result in a given subject and the mean of the candidate’s results in the other subjects taken”.
It adds that national ratings are, therefore, when averaged over a group of candidates, “an indication of the ‘difficulty’ of the subject in question”.
The explanation goes on: “A positive rating indicates a relatively easy subject, and a negative rating a relatively difficult subject.”
For example, a rating of +1 indicates that a subject is approximately one grade easier; a rating of -1 indicates that it is approximately one grade harder.
The most popular subjects
This year - of the 14 Higher subjects with more than 5,000 entries - pre-appeals data shows that physics and chemistry were rated most difficult, with scores of -0.56 and -0.51 respectively. Meanwhile, music and PE were rated easiest, with scores of 0.7 and 0.69.
The national ratings for the highest-uptake Higher subjects in alphabetical order were:
- Art and design: 0.13
- Administration and IT: 0.46
- Biology: -0.44
- Business management: 0.19
- Chemistry: -0.51
- English: 0.03
- Geography: 0.05
- History: 0.17
- Human biology: -0.41
- Modern studies: 0.04
- Music: 0.70
- Physical education: 0.69
- Physics: -0.56
Mr Farmer, a former physics teacher, said that negative national ratings can “affect perceptions” and lead to students being discouraged from pursuing certain subjects.
He said: “There can be some insidious pressures in the system - because of accountability and scrutiny measures - to massage school results, and that’s a concern. I’m not saying it’s widespread, but if some leaders see a subject has a high negative national rating, it’s a relatively easy step to discourage pupils from taking that subject, and to take subjects that have that positive rating.”
Mr Farmer argues that it is incumbent on the SQA to ensure that subjects have neither a high negative, nor a high positive, rating.
“If a subject is coming across as significantly more difficult, I would argue there’s a case for a gradual tweaking of standards to pull things back into alignment,” he said.
In response to the SQA’s point that the data should not be used to compare subjects in different curricular areas, Mr Farmer said this is simply not the reality in schools where the data is “part of the mix” and used to make subject choice decisions.
One physics teacher, who spoke to Tes Scotland about the level of difficulty in the subject at Higher, said it was “upsetting to see good students a bit crestfallen after exams”.
Comparatively low grades for physics candidates also have consequences for teachers, they said, who “feel under pressure from managers for perceived poor results - when the real situation is more nuanced and complex”.
‘Unnecessarily tricky’ exam questions
Another physics teacher, Andrew Bailey, questioned why the SQA had not responded to the national ratings figures by making adjustments to exam papers or grade boundaries.
He said that physics exam questions can be “unnecessarily tricky”, adding: “With over 15 per cent of the Scottish economy being in physics-based industries, it is important that our schools continue to attract physics learners, and it is pleasing to see more physics entries nationally at Higher and N5.
“But minor adjustments to the examination difficulty could change the impression and make things more equitable, increase entries and meet the demands of our economy for learners with physics expertise.”
Mr Tollan, giving the perspective of PE teachers, said: “It is hard to say what is a harder and easier Higher because everyone has different skill sets.”
He added: “We should be recognising the academic and holistic benefits of Higher PE and also celebrating the achievements of the pupils who have worked hard to achieve their Higher PE this year and every other year.”
Mr Tollan said that PE teachers have worked hard to modernise their subject - making it more inclusive - and this has resulted in a recent surge in entries. PE is now the third most popular subject at Higher.
“Rather than PE’s popularity being scrutinised in a negative way, we should try to look at what PE has done, not just at Higher but all the way through, to broaden our appeal,” he said.
The SQA told Tes Scotland that national ratings are “not a suitable comparison for subjects in different curricular areas” and they are “a limited measure” because they cannot take into account the impact of external factors such as teacher provision, budget allocation, extracurricular activities or local policy decisions.
According to the SQA, attainment rates “are considered the most appropriate form of attainment comparison”.
A spokesperson added: “Qualifications Scotland will be undertaking qualifications and assessment reform over the coming years. We always welcome and consider feedback from individuals and will be engaging with a full range of stakeholders to create an informed and representative evidence base for substantive and collaborative change.”
You can now get the UK’s most-trusted source of education news in a mobile app. Get Tes magazine on iOS and on Android
