A-level Philosophy digital exams pilot - Teacher perspectives

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

Between March and July 2025, AQA’s Research and Evaluation team ran a digital exams pilot for A-level Philosophy, examining teacher perspectives and classroom practice. The report reviews current technology use in teaching and learning, highlights how discussion-led pedagogy is preserved when digital tools are introduced, and identifies challenges affecting readiness and fairness, including assumed typing fluency and infrastructure barriers. Findings inform AQA’s strategy for transitioning high-stakes exams to digital delivery.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Executive summary

Key findings

Recommendations

Introduction

Methodology

A-level Philosophy digital exams pilot: Teacher perspectives Research and Innovation Faye Walker, Christoper Vincent and Victoria Armstrong Executive summary Between March and July 2025, AQA’s Research and Evaluation team conducted a digital exams pilot focused on A-level Philosophy. This report explores teacher perspectives and classroom practice, exploring how technology is currently used in philosophy teaching and learning and what adaptations might be needed to support digital assessment. The findings will inform AQA’s strategy to lead digital change and support the transition to digital delivery of high-stakes exams. Key findings • Technology use is highly variable. Students are generally free to choose whether to use digital devices, and practices differ between centres, teachers and activities. This variability suggests that assumptions about universal digital readiness should be treated with caution. • Teachers value technology where it serves a clear purpose. Digital tools are used selectively to support resource access, collaboration or efficiency, but teachers are keen to preserve the centrality of discussion in philosophy – a tradition that has shaped the subject for thousands of years – and to ensure digital exams do not undermine the ethos of the subject. • Digital tools support but do not replace discussion-led pedagogy. Platforms such as Teams and OneNote help with resource access and collaboration, but face-to-face dialogue and handwritten work remain central to philosophy teaching and exam preparation. • Typing fluency and digital skills are assumed rather than taught. Teachers rarely monitor these skills, and formal support is limited. This raises concerns about fairness and readiness for digital exams. • Teachers anticipate minimal pedagogical change. Most expect to keep discussion at the heart of lessons but stress the need for students to practise typing under exam conditions and adapt planning techniques for digital formats. • Infrastructure challenges remain significant. Space, device availability, charging facilities and connectivity are major barriers to delivering digital exams at scale. • Support for digital assessment is conditional. Teachers recognise benefits such as improved legibility and marking efficiency, but have concerns about malpractice, planning and the impact on students with lower typing fluency. • Institutional culture and teacher beliefs shape technology use. Policies and professional judgement create a balancing act between flexibility and consistency, influencing how digital tools are integrated. These findings highlight the need for a coordinated approach between AQA, schools and policy makers to ensure digital assessment supports educational integrity and long-term readiness. Recommendations • Provide guidance and case studies to support purposeful integration of digital tools and ensure digital exams complement discussion-led pedagogy. • Invest in infrastructure and ensure equitable access to reliable devices and connectivity. • Introduce opportunities for students to practise typing under exam conditions and monitor skill development. • Offer professional development for teachers to support pedagogical adaptation and share effective practice. • Design digital platforms to support planning and editing – and develop clear protocols to address malpractice. Introduction AQA’s Research and Evaluation team have undertaken several projects exploring the transition to digital exams. Previous studies focused on subjects with short-answer and multiple-choice items, such as GCSE Polish and GCSE Italian. To build on this work, we conducted a pilot in A-level Philosophy to explore the feasibility of delivering essay-based exams in a digital format. Philosophy was chosen because it involves extended written responses and two 3-hour papers, with a number of candidates already typing their exams. The project adopted a multi-method approach to exam

FAQs

What was the purpose of the A-level Philosophy digital exams pilot?

To explore teacher perspectives and classroom practice, assess how technology is currently used in philosophy teaching and learning, and identify adaptations needed to support digital assessment.

What do the findings say about how technology is used in philosophy teaching?

Technology use varies widely across centres and activities, and teachers value digital tools mainly when they serve clear purposes while keeping discussion central to the subject.

What challenges affect readiness and fairness for digital philosophy exams?

Teachers report that typing fluency and digital skills are often assumed rather than taught, and that infrastructure constraints such as device availability, charging, and connectivity can limit equitable delivery.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai