-
Research Matters 41 - Foreword
There are few responsibilities more important than the nurture and development of the next generation. Education shapes almost every aspect of learners’ lives – where they spend much of their time, what they learn to value, the activities they undertake, friendships they forge and the strategies they develop to navigate challenge and change. All these experiences influence not only academic achievement, but the foundations of lifelong success.
Download
-
Research Matters 41 - Editorial
Our first article explores links between amount of time spent gaming or browsing social media, and different aspects of wellbeing. Our second article reports an investigation of whether exam scheduling influences student performance in A Level exams. Our third article uses data from Cambridge’s Digital Mocks Service and from live paper-based exams to explore differences in the difficulty of the same questions across modes. Our fourth article reviews the literature on factors that predict success in vocational education and training. Our final article focuses on teachers’ assessment literacy, and research involving a questionnaire survey to gather views from teachers with professional experience of examining.
Download
-
Research Matters 41 - In This Issue
This section aims to provide a quick introduction to the research In This Issue including some context, key findings and their relevance.
Download
-
Gaming and social media browsing: Evidence of links to wellbeing among girls and boys based on data from PISA 2022
Lim, C. H. J., & Kreijkes, P. (2026). Gaming and social media browsing: Evidence of links to wellbeing among girls and boys based on data from PISA 2022. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 41, 9–31. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.127730
Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, this article examines how time spent browsing social media and gaming relates to seven aspects of adolescent wellbeing: school belonging, body image, general wellbeing, feeling of safety, life satisfaction, psychosomatic symptoms, and stress resilience. Descriptive statistics and regression modelling were used to examine these associations. To evaluate their practical significance, we also calculated relative risks and compared the correlation coefficients with those between being bullied and wellbeing. Firstly, we found that psychosomatic symptoms, such as anxiety, sleep difficulties, and headaches, showed a consistently negative association with time spent browsing social media, even after controlling for student background characteristics. The strength of this correlation was equivalent to 63 per cent of that between bullying and psychosomatic symptoms among girls and 48 per cent among boys. Adolescents who browsed for more than three hours daily were about 50 per cent more likely to fall within the top quartile experiencing psychosomatic symptoms compared to same-gender peers who browsed less. Negative associations were observed with time spent gaming, though to a lesser extent. Secondly, browsing social media for more than three hours a day increased the likelihood of scoring in the lowest quartile for body image, wellbeing, and life satisfaction by about 20 per cent for girls, but not for boys. Lastly, while some positive links were found between social media browsing and sense of school belonging, these instances were rare, and their strength was outweighed by the negative associations with other wellbeing aspects.
Download
-
The impact of A Level exam scheduling on performance
Gill, T. (2026). The impact of A Level exam scheduling on performance. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 41, 32–51. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.127731
This article examines whether the scheduling of A Level examinations in England influences student performance. Using data from the OCR awarding organisation from 2016 to 2019 and 2023, we analysed the exam results of candidates taking at least three A Levels. Three exam scheduling measures were considered: (i) days since the candidate’s previous exam; (ii) days since the candidate’s first exam; and (iii) number of previous exams taken by the candidate. Multilevel regression models controlled for concurrent attainment, gender, subject group, centre type, and exam session. Results show no evidence of a cumulative fatigue effect linked to days since the first exam. However, performance was slightly lower when multiple exams occurred on the same day, with gaps of one or more days associated with modest improvements (2 to 3.5 percentage points). The number of previous exams had a small negative effect overall but interacted strongly with concurrent attainment: high-attaining students performed better as the number of exams increased, while low-attaining students performed worse. Overall, the findings suggest that current scheduling practices have limited impact on performance, though reducing same-day exams could offer minor benefits.
Download
-
Mode effects in digital versus paper-based exams and their relationship with item characteristics
Lim, C. H. J., Vidal Rodeiro, C. L., & Gill, T. (2026). Mode effects in digital versus paper-based exams and their relationship with item characteristics. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 41, 52–71. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.127732
Digital exams, which are becoming increasingly common, are sometimes offered alongside traditional paper-based assessments. Exam boards may adopt several approaches to implement a digital exam, including transferring paper-based assessments to an on-screen format. Regardless of the taken approach, it is essential to maintain comparability across assessment modes for fairness.
This article examines, using Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis, whether 795 items from 31 exam components (in a range of qualifications and subjects) show an assessment mode effect. These exams were delivered via the Cambridge University Press & Assessment Digital Mocks Service and were based on previous live exam papers (that is, digital and paper-based exams asked candidates the same questions). All items were also coded using an item characteristics framework to investigate whether items with certain characteristics (e.g., heavy reading demand) were more likely to exhibit DIF.
About one in five items showed DIF. While the presence of DIF does not necessarily imply that a mode effect exists, it does indicate that the item is not functioning as expected. Furthermore, our findings suggest that DIF was unlikely to be systematically associated with particular item characteristics. There were two exceptions. Firstly, DIF was more common among items requiring numeric or mathematical entry as their answer than among items with other characteristics – with more items being harder on paper. Secondly, items requiring text entry as their answer also had disproportionate numbers of DIF items being harder on paper.
Download
-
Predicting success in vocational education and training: Insights from literature
Micallef Grimaud, A. (2026). Predicting success in vocational education and training: Insights from literature. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 41, 72–98. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.127733
Cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, along with prior academic attainment, are well-established predictors of academic achievement, but much less is known about how these variables relate to outcomes in vocational pathways. This article reports a scoping review of the existing literature on predictors of success in vocational education and training. A total of 113 studies were screened, of which 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for detailed review. Prior attainment and general cognitive ability emerged as consistent predictors of vocational success, although their associations were typically weaker and more variable than in academic pathways. Specific cognitive abilities (e.g., verbal, numerical, and spatial abilities) were most predictive when they aligned with the demands of particular vocational areas. Among non-cognitive traits, the Conscientiousness personality facet showed robust associations with vocational attainment, persistence, and satisfaction, while vocational interests, motivation, behavioural engagement, and social-emotional competencies made smaller but meaningful contributions. Overall, the findings suggest that vocational achievement is multidimensional and domain-specific, shaped by combinations of cognitive, non-cognitive, and prior attainment factors, rather than any single indicator.
Download
-
How does examining influence teachers’ assessment literacy?
Coleman, V., & Johnson, M. (2026). How does examining influence teachers’ assessment literacy? Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 41, 99–115. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.127734
Assessment literacy (AL) is an important part of teachers’ professional practice; however, there are concerns that many teachers in the UK do not have sufficient AL. Many countries have systems which rely on teachers who work as examiners to mark students’ exam papers. It has been suggested that professional examining experiences may act as a form of assessment Continuing Professional Development (CPD), helping teachers to develop their AL through the experience gained and training received. In this article we report the outcomes of a research study where we explored teachers’ perceptions of the influence of examining on their AL using a survey method. Our research highlights that teachers believe that examining does influence their AL and that this impact goes beyond simply summative assessment, influencing their wider teaching practices and professional relationships.
Download
-
Research Matters 41 - Research News
Bowett, L. & White, J. (2026). Research News. Research Matters: A Cambridge University Press & Assessment publication, 41, 116–117.
A summary of recent conferences, reports, blogs and research articles published since the last issue of Research Matters.
Download