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This report gives detailed results of the 2008 Scottish Survey of Achivement ( SSA), and provides a snapshot of pupils' achievement in Scottish schools, in numeracy, mathematics and core skills. Pupils in P3, P5, P7 and S2, from across Scotland, were randomly selected for involvement in the survey and assessed against the 5-14 levels on a variety of tasks including practical assessments, teachers' judgements, and tests. The aim was to estimate the nation's achivement in order to inform and inprove teaching practice and learning in general.
SSA 2008 Aims and objectives
The 2008 SSA for Mathematics and Core Skills has the following primary objectives:
1. To assess and report nationally on pupils' attainment in Mathematics and Numeracy by 5 to 14 levels at the P3, P5, P7 and S2 stages
2. To investigate and report nationally on pupils' ability to use numeracy skills in every day contexts at the P3, P5, P7 and S2 stages
3. To assess and report nationally on pupils' Core Skills abilities ( ICT, Working with Others and Problem Solving) applied in a Mathematics context at the P3, P5, P7 and S2 stages
4. To gather information and report nationally on pupils' and teachers' experience of learning and teaching in Mathematics, along with their views about this experience
5. To gather and report nationally on teachers' judgements of pupils' Reading, Writing and Mathematics attainment levels.
6. To compare attainment and progression in Mathematics and Numeracy across the four stages and between girls and boys
7. To compare attainment and progression in Mathematics and Numeracy in relation to deprivation
8. To assess changes in performance over time where possible
Questionnaires
Questionnaires were distributed to all pupils that were sampled for the SSA, and their mathematics teachers. The questionnaires were deisgned to explore pupils' and teachers' attitudes to mathematics learning and teaching. Teachers' judgements. The mathematics teachers of the sampled pupils provided teachers' judgements of each pupils' levels in mathematics. These were completed for mathematics, reading and writing.
Additional Indicative Elements
The following elements of the 2008 SSA were carried out among a more limited sample of pupils. Results are therefore not published here since they are not considered to be as statistically robust. Separate reports will be produced in due course giving the findings of these investigations.
Practicals
The practical component of the survey involved a subset of about 1,000 pupils per stage participating in the 4 following tasks: Working with others (about 300 pupils), Information communication Technology (about 300 pupils), Investigations (about 300 pupils) and Mental Maths (all practical pupils).
The tasks were assessed by a visiting teacher called a Field Officer who graded each pupil's within a single point on the 5-14 scale (A - F). In the 'Working with Others' tasks, each pupil was rated on four different aspects of working with others and the group as a whole were also assessed on a three point scale for different aspects of carrying out the task as a group.
Writing
All teachers of sampled pupils were asked to provide judgements of the writing level of each sampled pupil. In addition, a sub-sample of 25% of all sampled pupils were asked to provide a piece of writing 'in a mathematics context', if possible, and provide a grade that reflected the 'best fit' level of that piece of that piece of writing.
Using mathematics
At a national level about two thirds of the sampled pupils were assessed on understanding mathematics and half on using mathematics. In addition all of the extra pupils due to the local authority boosts were assessed on understanding mathematics. It is the understanding mathematics assessments that form the basis of the main report. Using mathematics was a new element of assessment which needed to be analysed separately. It was included to trial an approach designed to be consistent with the emerging requirements of CfE for contextualised assessments.
SSA 2008 Contents
Note 1: due to the large number of pages in this document each chapter begins with a further contents page which can be accessed by clicking on each chapter icon on the main contents page.
Note 2: At local authority report level only the opted in authorites are shown
Chapter 1
National mathematics attainment estimates
National mathematics attainment estimates, by gender
National mathematics attainment estimates, by deprivation
Local authorities - Mathematics attainment estimates
Local authorities - Mathematics attainment estimates, by gender
Chapter 2
National numeracy attainment estimates
National numeracy attainment estimates, by gender
National numeracy attainment estimates, by deprivation
Local authorities - Numeracy attainment estimates
Local authorities - Numeracy attainment estimates, by gender
Chapter 3
National mathematics achievement estimates: teachers' judgements
Local authorities - Mathematics achievement estimates: Teachers' judgements
Chapter 4
National teacher questionnaire results
Chapter 5
National pupil questionnaire results
Local authorities - National pupil questionnaire results
Chapter 6
National reading achievement estimates: Teachers' judgements
Local authorities - Reading achievement estimates: Teachers' judgements
Chapter 7
National writing achievement estimates: Teachers' judgements
Local authorities - Writing achievement estimates: Teachers' judgements
Chapter 8
Survey statistics:Pupil and school national participation rates
The intended pupil samples for mathematics assessment (local authorities)
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