It is important to understand how assessment in Higher Education (HE) can be made more inclusive. This paper presents how assessment in HE can be made more inclusive through the meaningful participation of disabled students, with a particular focus on choice.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the principle framework of this research. UDL principles can provide an inclusive approach in teaching but are frequently absent from assessment practices. HE Institutions provide accommodations to those students who qualify. However, accommodations are often applied in a wholesale manner according to disability diagnosis, without consideration of the specific needs of the individual. UDL is a helpful tool to support analysis but the framework was lacking on assessment so was enhanced through the application of relevant inclusive pedagogy literature.

A questionnaire was used to collect data from a range of teacher education students. By asking students how best they can be supported, they are able to participate more in decisions about assessment, as the group most impacted by such decisions. The research sought to understand the challenges faced by disabled students in HE assessment and how best they could be supported to be successful, focusing on how choice could be used to provide a more inclusive approach. The enhanced UDL framework was then used to guide a thematic analysis of the responses.

The findings show that the requirements for inclusion of all are varied, and the changes required are not universal, even for students with the same disability or condition. All participants discussed the importance of choice in some area of the assessment process, such as structure, timing or formatting. Consequently, choice needs to be more carefully consider in HE assessment and there needs to be a flexible and varied approach to assessment design, in order to support all students to be successful.

This paper concerns the characteristics of teaching quality. It is well-established that teachers are central to education systems and that teaching quality is vital for educational improvements to support students’ learning (OECD, 2021). This paper presents findings from the Teacher-led Learning Circles (T3LFA) project which facilitated professional learning and development to advance teachers’ leadership of effective formative assessment practices to benefit students’ learning. The T3LFA project was led by Education International and implemented over three years (2020-2023) in seven countries: Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malaysia, South Korea, Switzerland, and Uruguay.

The theoretical framework combined identification of six key features of effective professional learning and development (Campbell et al., 2022) and four evidence-based Assessment for Learning strategies and linked practices (Lysgaht et al., 2017, 2019). Two overarching research questions are explored. In the Teacher-led Learning Circles:

• What promising teacher-led formative assessment practices were identified?
• What professional learning and teacher leadership processes supported teachers’ formative assessment practices?

The data are from: teacher pre-survey (n=171, 99% response rate) and post-survey (n=121, 70% response rate); a teacher codification framework questionnaire for examples of promising formative assessment practices (113 responses); questionnaires for local facilitators (n=27, 63% response rate), local union representatives (n=10, 59% response rate) and national researcher (n=7, 100% response rate); and National Country Reports (n=7, 100% response rate).

The findings indicate statistically significant improvements in teachers’ confidence in and embeddedness of practice for teachers’ use of effective formative assessment strategies and linked practices in the categories of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, Questioning and Classroom Discussion, Feedback, and Self- and Peer-Assessment. The findings also indicate positive improvements in professional learning and development processes to support teachers’ formative assessment practices. Reported benefits included teachers’ increased knowledge and use of formative assessments with benefits for students’ learning, progression, confidence, agency, and academic achievement.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) play a crucial role in achieving targeted educational outcomes. In the state of Haryana, India, an M&E mechanism has been meticulously established to ensure accurate data collection by mentors in classrooms, the implementation of structured pedagogy by teachers, and the mastery of weekly competencies by students to achieve Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) by grade 3. This study delves into the practical application of the M&E framework to conduct effective review meetings across 22 districts in Haryana. The research methodology encompasses a comprehensive analysis of observations from 18 District Project Implementation Unit (DPIU) review meetings, alongside in-depth interviews with 4 District Elementary Education Officers, 4 FLN coordinators, and 8 members of the State Project Implementation Unit team. These qualitative insights are complemented by quantitative data from 8669 schools, meticulously collected during mentoring and monitoring activities. This extensive dataset has been analysed to track progress on seven Key Process Indicators (KPIs). Review meetings, a critical component of the M&E framework, were evaluated using detailed pre-meeting, during-meeting, and post-meeting checklists that involve 16 distinct parameters. These parameters ensure a thorough assessment of the meeting's effectiveness in facilitating targeted actions. The study underscores the significance of quality data collection and the need for consistent training for district officials on M&E practices. Such training is pivotal for enhancing the capability of officials to conduct meaningful review meetings that drive actionable outcomes. The findings from this research highlight the transformative potential of structured review meetings in applying M&E tools. By fostering a culture of accountability towards educational goals, these meetings significantly contribute to the mission's success. The study demonstrates how systematic M&E processes can profoundly impact nearly one million students in Haryana. In conclusion, this research emphasises that robust M&E frameworks and effective review meetings are indispensable for achieving educational targets.

This presentation focuses on the interactions between teacher presence and student flourishing. Drawing on the PERMA framework established by Seligman, the “Calm, Clear, Kind” framework of Patricia Jennings and the work of Dr Stuart Shanker, we explore how teacher presence - mindfulness, embodiment and self-regulation support student social-emotional and academic flourishing. Cultivating the conditions for positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment in classrooms is dependent on teacher-student and student-student relationships.

Research is conducted through classroom practice, interviews and professional learning sessions. Presenters will share evidence-based approaches to create compassionate and equitable classrooms through teacher presence, instructional / assessment practices and curriculum design.

This work is significant as we are witnessing high levels of stress for both teachers and students. In addition, student disengagement and social media distraction are impacting student mental health and personal relationships.

This work crosses a number of the sub-themes of the conference including: quality teaching, curriculum design and equitable teaching practices.