Teacher marking must be verified through quality assurance procedures, but what does research and experience tell us about how to conduct internal moderation effectively? Erin Miller considers different approaches
Fair moderation? Research suggests that teachers tend to be harsher on students they do not know whereas will defend the marks they have given to their own students - Adobe Stock

The objective of internal moderation processes is “to develop a shared understanding of standards of achievement and the qualities that will denote evidence of these standards” (Adie et al, 2013).

Sounds simple enough, but as all teachers know, moderation can quickly become a complicated and tricky job.

Internal moderation is required across all key stages as it is incumbent upon all teachers to ensure that they are accurately applying assessment criteria to their students’ assessed work, whether this is qualification-related or not. Without this accuracy, it is impossible to monitor progress.

Moderation is also a powerful tool for developing teachers’ formative assessment skills and is instrumental in ensuring we understand the progress of our students.

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