How are changes to assessment in BTEC Early Years perceived as influencing the vocational nature of the curriculum

· By Dr Kate Dudley
Assessment Qualifications

My 2017 Master’s research explores how reforms to BTEC Early Years assessment reshaped perceptions of vocational learning, curriculum priorities and emerging professional identity.

How are changes to assessment in BTEC Early Years perceived as influencing the vocational nature of the curriculum
(Thanks to Yan Krukau for their photo)

Completed in 2017, my Master’s dissertation examines how changes to assessment within the BTEC Early Years qualification were perceived by educators delivering the programme. Situated during a period of significant vocational reform, the study explores whether shifts in assessment structures were influencing the vocational character of the curriculum itself.

Assessment Reform in Early Years 

Rather than treating assessment as a neutral tool for measuring student performance, the research considers it as a shaping force within curriculum design. Through qualitative engagement with practitioner perspectives, I investigated concerns that increased external assessment and standardisation may alter the balance between classroom theory and placement-based, practice-centred learning.
Participants reflected on the ways assessment requirements influenced teaching approaches, curriculum emphasis and student experience. Questions emerged about whether reform-driven accountability measures were reinforcing academic conventions at the expense of experiential and relational knowledge central to Early Years practice. The dissertation highlights how assessment models can subtly recalibrate what is prioritised, what is valued and how professional competence is understood.

At its core, the study draws attention to the powerful relationship between qualification frameworks and vocational identity. When assessment changes, the curriculum does not remain untouched. Teaching strategies, student confidence and the perceived authenticity of vocational preparation are all affected.

This research contributes to ongoing discussions within Early Years education, vocational training and curriculum studies about the impact of policy reform on professional preparation. It offers insight into how structural adjustments within qualifications can influence the lived experience of both educators and trainee practitioners.

This dissertation can be found at: https://wlv.openrepository.com/handle/2436/621197