I am a part-time PhD student at Lancaster University. This is the website of my study. As of 31st December 2021, I have drawn a line under the data collection phase of my study and so I am no longer seeking to recruit participants (but if you happen to know of a large group of teachers who are eager to take part, do get in touch!). However, here you can read some background information about the study and its aims. From time to time I plan to post updates to show how the study is progressing.

 

The site will probably always be a work in progress, so if you don't find the information that you are looking for do drop me a line!

 

I welcome comments, on this site,  or on my project. Please use the contact form. You can also comment directly on any of the posts in my blog.

 

Glyn Jones

Replicating the validation of the CEFR illustrative descriptors

I am studying part-time for a PhD at Lancaster University. The title is Replicating the validation of the CEFR illustrative descriptors. Its general aim is to replicate the study undertaken by Brian North and Günther Schneider in the course of developing the CEFR descriptors.
In practice this meant asking teachers to use CEFR descriptors to rate actual learners. This happened in two phases. 

 

In the first phase participants were asked to rate two learners whom they knew very well (two of their own students). In the second phase they rated samples of writing produced by learners whom they have never met. Both phases were implemented by means of online surveys which can be completed in the participants' own time.