HSC exams 2019: Teacher backlash over ambiguous questions
A teacher backlash over ambiguous HSC questions has experts casting doubt over the exam’s validity, prompting an investigation.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A teacher backlash over ambiguous HSC questions has experts casting doubt over the exam’s validity, prompting an investigation.
Teachers were dumbfounded over what they called “smart arse” questions in the personal development, health and physical education exam.
It comes after markers were forced to accept multiple answers as being correct in last year’s legal studies exam.
MORE NEWS
Where to celebrate Melbourne Cup in Sydney
Brothers charged over $1m allegedly found in raid
Milat told guard of ‘second killer’ after chopping finger off
This year, questions 10, 13 and 15 of the PDHPE exam multiple choice section left teachers on an online forum stumped, with one saying it was “not acceptable” that the questions were so confusing.
“So a whole bunch of teachers are debating the outcomes on two, even three questions ... I’ve just had my 13th HSC cohort and I don’t recall having so much conjecture over answers,” he wrote.
Another said: “The degree of analysis … was yet another example of smart arse questions and I don’t give a rats who I offend in saying it.”
One question about a player who kicked at goal, then turned to their teammates confident of having made a successful kick, asked what type of “feedback” the player experienced. Students had to choose a combination of “knowledge of results” or “knowledge of performance” and whether if they received “internal” or “external” feedback.
Teachers slammed the question for its ambiguous wording, and were split over the correct answer.
Opposition Education spokeswoman Prue Car said questions needed to be clear.
“The HSC is stressful enough without students having confusing questions they weren’t prepared for,” she said.
And Australian Tutoring Association CEO Mohan Dhall said: “If the professional judgment of teachers is the (questions) are confusing or ambiguous, that does suggest poor (test) design.”
Last year the NSW Education Standards Authority, which sets the exam, was forced to admit there was “no best answer” for question 9 of the legal studies multiple choice, and also had to accept two answers for question 19.
NESA said it had investigated the contentious questions in this year’s PDHPE exam and “confirmed that there are no ambiguities”.
A spokeswoman said: “Each exam is reviewed at least six times and checked a further three times at minimum before more than 700,000 exam papers are printed.”