Filio Constantinou

Filio Constantinou

I am an educational researcher with a special interest in educational linguistics and educational assessment. Before joining Cambridge Assessment I carried out research in the fields of bilingualism and bidialectism focusing specifically on second language writing, second language teaching, language awareness, language ideologies and educational inequalities.

My research at Cambridge Assessment has focused on a wide range of assessment issues, including question writing and question quality, students’ writing performance over time as part of our Aspects of Writing research, comparability of assessment instruments, diachronic perspectives on test design, validity and the sociopolitical underpinnings of assessment. As a member of the qualifications development research team, I provide our examination boards with advice on how to redevelop their qualifications, and have carried out research to support the reform of GCSEs and A Levels. I am currently investigating the use of context in applied qualifications and its implications for validity.

I have a BA in Education from the University of Cyprus, an MA in Language Education from the University of York, an MPhil in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Educational Linguistics also from the University of Cambridge. Recently, I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Assessment and Examinations, a new postgraduate course offered by the Faculty of Education (University of Cambridge) in association with Cambridge Assessment.

Outside of work, I take part in a university initiative for promoting community languages (CRiCLE Network). I am also learning Spanish, and enjoy reading and travelling.

Publications

2020

What is synoptic assessment? Defining and operationalising an as yet non-mainstream assessment concept.
Constantinou, F. (2020). What is synoptic assessment? Defining and operationalising an as yet non-mainstream assessment concept. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice (ahead of print).
Examination questions as a form of communication between the examiner and the examinee: a sociolinguistic perspective on assessment practice
Constantinou, F. (2020). Examination questions as a form of communication between the examiner and the examinee: a sociolinguistic perspective on assessment practice. Cambridge Journal of Education (ahead of print).
Research Matters 29: Spring 2020
Using corpus linguistics tools to identify instances of low linguistic accessibility in tests

Beauchamp, D. and Constantinou, F. (2020). Using corpus linguistics tools to identify instances of low linguistic accessibility in tests. Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication, 29, 10-16.

Assessment is a useful process as it provides various stakeholders (e.g., teachers, parents, government, employers) with information about students' competence in a particular subject area. However, for the information generated by assessment to be useful, it needs to support valid inferences. One factor that can undermine the validity of inferences from assessment outcomes is the language of the assessment material. For example, the use of excessively complex grammar and difficult vocabulary in the formulation of test questions may prevent students from displaying their true knowledge and skills (e.g., students who are not native speakers of the target language). In an attempt to support teachers and test developers in designing linguistically accessible assessment material, this study explored practical ways of investigating the linguistic complexity of test questions both at the level of vocabulary (lexical complexity) and grammar (syntactic complexity). The study compiled three corpora of examination questions and undertook automated lexical and syntactic analyses of these questions using software packages that are typically employed in the field of corpus linguistics.

Low-attaining students’ writing is becoming less formal
News (17 February, 2020)
Non-standard English in UK students' writing over time.
Constantinou, F., & Chambers, L. (2020). Non-standard English in UK students' writing over time. Language and Education, 34(1), 22-35.

2019

To what extent is the language of this test question readable? Tools for investigating the linguistic accessibility of assessment material
Beauchamp. D., and Constantinou, F. (2019). To what extent is the language of this test question readable? Tools for investigating the linguistic accessibility of assessment material. Presented at the 20th annual AEA-Europe conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 13-16 November 2019.
Tests as texts: investigating test questions from a sociolinguistic perspective
Constantinou, F. (2019). Tests as texts: investigating test questions from a sociolinguistic perspective. Presented at the 20th Annual AEA-Europe conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 13-16 November 2019.
Why are some subjects less popular than others? Extending the debate.
Constantinou, F. (2019). Why are some subjects less popular than others? Extending the debate. Presented at the biennal conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Aachen, Germany, August 2019.
To what extent is the language of this test question readable? Tools for investigating the linguistic accessibility of assessment material.
Beauchamp., D. and Constantinou, F. (2019). To what extent is the language of this test question readable? Tools for investigating the linguistic accessibility of assessment material. Presented at the annual conference of the British Educational Research Association, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, 10-12 September 2019.
The construct of language competence over time: using high-stakes tests to gain insight into the history of L1 education in England
Constantinou, F. (2019). The construct of language competence over time: using high-stakes tests to gain insight into the history of L1 education in England. Language and Education, 33(6), 491-505.
A diachronic perspective on formality in students' writing: empirical findings from the UK
Constantinou, F., Chambers, L., Zanini, N. and Klir, N. (2019). A diachronic perspective on formality in students' writing: empirical findings from the UK. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 33(1), 66-83.
A question of quality: Conceptualisations of quality in the context of educational test questions

Crisp, V., Johnson, M. and Constantinou, F. (2019) A question of quality: Conceptualisations of quality in the context of educational test questions. Research in Education, 105 (1), 18-41.

2018

Constructs over time: the construct of language competence as captured in tests in England over the last 150 years
Constantinou, F. (2018). Constructs over time: the construct of language competence as captured in tests in England over the last 150 years. Presented at the 19th annual AEA-Europe conference, Arnhem/Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 7-10 November 2018.
'That path won't lead nowhere': non-standard English in UK students' writing over time
Constantinou, F. and Chambers, L. (2018). 'That path won't lead nowhere': non-standard English in UK students' writing over time. Presented at the annual conference of the British Educational Research Association (BERA), Newcastle, UK, September 2018.
Strong and weak ‘brands’ in the school curriculum: towards a framework for levelling the curriculum hierarchy
Constantinou, F. (2018). Strong and weak ‘brands’ in the school curriculum: towards a framework for levelling the curriculum hierarchy. Research Papers in Education, 34(5), 553-568.

2017

Alternative uses of examination data: the case of English Language writing
Chambers, L., Constantinou, F., Zanini, N. and Klir, N. (2017). Presented at the 18th annual AEA Europe conference, Prague, 9-11 November 2017.
Formality in students’ writing over time: empirical findings from the UK
Constantinou, F., Chambers, L., Zanini, N. and Klir, N. (2017). Presented at the annual European Conference of Educational Research, Copenhagen, Denmark, 22-25 August 2017
Multiple voices in tests: towards a macro theory of test writing
Constantinou, F., Crisp, V. and Johnson, M. (2017).  Multiple voices in tests: towards a macro theory of test writing.  Cambridge Journal of Education, 48(8), 411-426.
How do question writers compose external examination questions? Question writing as a socio-cognitive process
Johnson, M., Constantinou, F. and Crisp, V. (2017). How do question writers compose external examination questions? Question writing as a socio-cognitive process. British Educational Research Journal (BERJ). 43(4), 700-719.

2016

Research Matters Special Issue 4: Aspects of Writing 1980-2014
How do question writers compose examination questions? Question writing as a socio-cognitive process
Johnson, M., Constantinou, F. and Crisp, V. (2016). Paper presented at the AEA-Europe annual conference, Limassol, Cyprus, 3-5 November 2016
'Question quality': The concept of quality in the context of exam questions
Crisp, V., Johnson, M. and Constantinou, F. (2016). Paper presented at the AEA-Europe annual conference, Limassol, Cyprus,3-5 November 2016
Writing questions for examination papers: a creative process?
Constantinou, F., Crisp, V. and Johnson, M. (2016). Paper presented at the 8th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research in Learning and Instruction (EARLI) SIG 1 - Assessment and Evaluation, Munich, Germany, 24-26 August 2016

2015

Piloting a method for comparing examination question paper demands
Chambers, L., Greatorex, J., Constantinou, F. and Ireland, J. (2015). Paper presented at the AEA-Europe annual conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 4-7 November 2015.
Piloting a method for comparing examination question paper demands
Greatorex, J., Chambers, L., Constantinou, F. and Ireland, J. (2015).  Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference, Belfast, UK, 14-17 September 2015.

Events

2019

Research Matters

Research Matters 28: Autumn 2019

Research Matters is our free biannual publication which allows us to share our assessment research, in a range of fields, with the wider assessment community.