The Contribution of Research to the Review of National Qualifications Policy: The Case of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)

Abstract

New Zealand has implemented a major reform of secondary qualifications since 2002. This has attracted interest in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere. It is a standards-based system, whereby learners meet explicit “standards” (statements of knowledge and behaviour and assessment criteria) to gain national qualifications. Secondary students now gain credits towards the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). The introduction of the NCEA by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has been contested, but following government reviews of the conduct of the 2004 national secondary examinations, changes were introduced for the 2005 examinations, and further system review, research and technical monitoring are underway. The purpose of this article is to analyse how research on the NCEA using multiple sources of enquiry has contributed towards understanding its impact on learners, teachers and parents. It concludes with a consideration of some ways in which its implementation might be improved, and raises possible issues for any future review.