Abstract

The introduction of assessment orientated policy in 2016 marks a significant change in Scottish education as it will establish standardised national testing. Teachers in Gaelic medium education are well placed to offer insights as they have had considerable autonomy regarding assessment and this paper is the first to consider the impact of this specific reform in Scotland. Three linked themes emerged from thematic analysis based on focus group data. Participants were keen to discuss the climate regarding Gaelic medium education linking concerns with the ongoing reform of assessment policy. Policy and practice implications are discussed as well as the anticipated impact the assessments may have on pupils and teaching staff. This paper contributes to the understanding regarding the role of standardised tests in education and feeds into an understanding of policy development through the lens of immersion education highlighting uncertainties held by teachers when reform is underway.

摘要

2016 年以评估为导向的政策的引入标志着苏格兰教育的重大变化，因为它将建立标准化的国家测试。盖尔语中等教育的教师可以很好地提供见解，因为他们在评估方面拥有相当大的自主权，本文是第一个考虑这一特定改革在苏格兰的影响的论文。基于焦点小组数据的主题分析产生了三个相互关联的主题。与会者热衷于讨论盖尔语中等教育的氛围，将关注点与正在进行的评估政策改革联系起来。讨论了政策和实践的影响，以及评估可能对学生和教职员工产生的预期影响。