The results of the first piloting of the state matura showed: schools are ready to organise regular matura exams, the quality of tasks is good, but the tasks were more difficult than expected, continuous preparation of students is necessary for better success
The introduction of the matura at the end of secondary education, as the experiences of other countries show, requires extensive preparation, change and harmonization within the education system. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development approached the introduction of the state matura carefully and planned three trials in the preparations, in order to check various elements of the system and propose solutions in phases, identify and eliminate possible shortcomings, but also to give all participants enough time to prepare. Two of those rehearsals are the so-called piloting within the State Matura Project, and the third will be the trial matura, which the Ministry of Education will conduct.
The first piloting of the state matura exam was organised at the end of October 2020. The aim was to check the mechanisms and procedures for quality assurance at the school level and understand whether schools are prepared to conduct standardized exams. In addition, the quality and difficulty of the tasks were checked in order to make essential decisions on the state matura, based on the findings from piloting (whether the tasks will be divided by levels into two test books, how the pass threshold will be defined, etc.), but also how the guidelines for working groups that will correct the tasks would be defined.
What did the just-completed analysis of the results show?
Schools are ready to organize standardized exams, regardless of the difficult circumstances in which the piloting was conducted. The high degree of agreement of the supervisors' assessments who monitored the implementation of the first pilot, principals, teachers and students who filled in the anonymous questionnaires indicates that the procedures were conducted following the instructions. The procedures related to the safety and regularity of exams must be carried out adequately. As many as 95% of students confirmed that the teachers on duty did not allow copying, which is in accordance with the assessments of supervisors and the statements from the questionnaire of teachers on duty and indicates a high degree of regularity of the exam. With the systematic involvement and participation of a more significant number of supervisors, the regularity of exams could be fully achieved.
Weaker motivation among students was expected, given the situation in which piloting was organised and the fact that the results achieved in this test will not affect success. Although the students in the questionnaires mainly claimed that they were equally motivated as when they take regular assessment tests, the teachers on duty, the time the students spent doing the tasks and the number of tasks that they did not even try to solve indicate that, they were less motivated than when doing regular school written assignments.
The tasks were assessed as moderately complex. Almost half of the students stated that there were tasks on the test they did not study, which is not a surprise considering the long teaching period under the changed circumstances. A detailed analysis of the quality and difficulty of the tasks, conducted within the State Matura Project, included an assessment of how clear and unambiguous the tasks are, how they correspond to the standards of achievement in general education subjects and how reliably they measure students' knowledge. The results indicate that the quality of the tasks is good, but that they are more complex than expected and that some tasks were not well enough prepared to check the levels of achievement standards. Based on these indicators, the working groups will revise assignments prepared for the next piloting in the following period.
The goal of the first piloting was not to check the students 'knowledge, but it certainly gave an insight into the level of students' knowledge. It should be borne in mind, however, that the piloting was organised at the beginning of the school year, after a long period during which classes were held under changed circumstances and, in particular, the fact that there were no preparations for testing (school preparations were not organised, neither teachers nor students knew which areas will be tested, collections of exercise tasks are not yet available).
Similar to the final exam at the end of primary education, high school students were the least successful in solving the Mathematics test. The results in Serbian language and literature are significantly better, although below the expected level. These are also the only two tests done by all high school students. The best result among high school students was achieved on the test in mother tongue and literature by students who study in Hungarian; followed by tests in English language, History, Geography, Serbian Language and Literature, Physics, Biology, German language and Chemistry.
In secondary vocational schools, students, in addition to Serbian language and literature and Mathematics, also took the written part of the professional exam. Medical school students best did the tests – vocational exams for gynaecology and obstetrics technicians and nurse technicians-educators had the highest percentage of correct answers. The students who took the Bosnian language and literature as their mother tongue and literature were also solid. Following are vocational exams for pediatric nurses, culinary technicians and printing technicians, a test in the field of Electrical Engineering (a unique test for several educational profiles), then vocational exams for nautical technicians, textile technicians and transport technicians. The least successful students of secondary vocational schools were in solving tests in Serbian language and literature, mathematics and vocational exams for educational profiles in the fields of Building and construction and Chemistry, non-metals and graphics (installer, construction technician for laboratory tests and technician environmental protection).
When piloting the final exam, which students in three-year educational profiles take, the average grade is 3.95, which is a satisfactory result considering that they will take their real final exam in June 2023.
The first piloting of the state matura was a significant experience for students, schools, the Ministry, working groups, test evaluators and all other participants in the preparations for the state matura. The positive comments and suggestions received from the schools are encouraging and indicate, in a constructive way, the areas where improvements are possible. The first piloting provided critical empirical data. In the following period, expert discussions will define answers to still open questions regarding the state matura (threshold for passability, conditions for enrollment in higher education institutions).
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and the State Matura Project once again thank the students, teachers and school principals who participated in the first piloting of the state matura. The next piloting will cover all schools and all students who will take the state matura. Until then, special attention will be paid to informing students, parents, and teachers about all aspects of the state matura.
You can see the report on the results of the first piloting of the state matura exam here.