Vocational Education Tasks - PDST

4. Conclusions
• Examiners were generally satisfied that the majority of candidates had presented tasks that were
relevant and appropriate to the vocational specialism they had undertaken.
• The majority of candidates demonstrated a high level of enthusiasm and commitment in the
preparation and presentation of the tasks. This was particularly evident where candidates
selected their own tasks.
• Examiners expressed concern that some tasks were not entirely relevant to the vocational
specialism being assessed.
• Examiners noted that candidates who performed well in the tasks showed evidence of relevant
cross-curricular applications, in addition to the mandatory areas.
• Cross-curricular applications and integration continue, in many instances, to be contrived rather
than substantive. This results in low scoring for candidates in this criterion. Many candidates
did not achieve effective and meaningful integration in the mandatory area of Mathematical
Applications.
• Examiners reported that the best tasks were those where an appropriate balance was struck
between teacher guidance and the individual responsibility of the candidate.
• Examiners reported that where a teacher input was excessive, it resulted in uniformity of tasks,
lack of individual candidate contribution and engagement, lack of understanding of the aims and
purpose of the task and poor performance at interview.
• Group tasks were most successful when each candidate had an appreciation of the nature and
objectives of the whole task, together with a clear understanding of their own role. This was
reflected in the candidate’s task report which outlined an overall description of the group task but
remained focused on their own individual contribution to that task.
• In some instances, group tasks were not substantial enough to support an adequate work
involvement for each of the participants. Examiners also found that the number of participants
in some group tasks was too large.
• In some cases where a product was presented as part of a group task, examiners had great
difficulty in identifying and crediting the individual contribution and involvement of each
candidate.
• The best written reports included a table of contents, well organised content and evidence of
relevant research, planning or investigation undertaken, e.g. copies of correspondence sent and
received, relevant photographic evidence, copies of questionnaires, record of interviews,
bibliography.
• Over-reliance on photocopied materials, transcription and indiscriminate use of information
downloaded from the Internet seemed to undermine the educational aims of the Vocational
Education Task.
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