Staff

Prof Rob Coe

Contact Prof Rob Coe

Biography

Robert Coe is Professor in the School of Education and Director of the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM), Durham University. CEM is the largest educational research centre in a UK university and has provided assessment and monitoring systems to many thousands of schools since 1983. Well over a million children take our assessments every year in more than 40 countries; we are the largest provider of computer adaptive assessments outside the US.

Before embarking on an academic career, Rob Coe was a teacher of mathematics, with experience in a range of secondary schools and colleges. He left teaching in 1995 to study full-time for a PhD at Durham University, and then stayed on as a Research Associate and Lecturer.

His research interests are wide-ranging and include: evaluation methodology; Evidence-Based Education and the involvement of practitioners in research; school effectiveness and improvement, including the methodology of school effectiveness research; the use and effects of feedback, especially in performance monitoring information systems; and the statistical comparability of examinations in different subjects and over time.

His teaching is also varied, including research methods courses from undergraduate to Ed.D. level, and specialist Masters level courses in Experiments in Education and in Educational Assessment, as well as contributing to initial teacher training. His methodological expertise lies in areas such as general statistical analysis, experimental design, meta-analysis, multilevel modelling, construct measurement and item response models.

Rob is keen to work with good PhD students in any areas that overlap with his research interests and expertise.

Completed Supervisions (since 2008)

Reflective Outcomes in Asynchronous Computer Mediated Communication: A Case Study Using a Comparative Method

Research Groups

• Assessment, Evaluation and Effectiveness
• Curriculum and Pedagogy

Research Projects

• 11+ Test Exclusive To The Grammar Schools
• An Evaluation of the STAR programme
• Educational Accountability
• Entrance Test Development
• Evaluations of National Ratings
• Grammar Schools In England
• Increasing Student Competence and Confidence in Algebra and Multiplicative Reasoning
• OSCA
• P-SCALES
• Social class bias in selection

Research Interests

• Evidence-based policy and practice
• Statistical analysis and inference
• Value added and school effectiveness

Publications

Journal papers: academic

• Dumay, X., Coe, R. & Anumendem, D.N. (2013). Stability over time of different methods of estimating school performance. School Effectiveness and School Improvement: An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice
• Davies, P., Davies, N., Hutton, D., Adnett, N. & Coe, R. (2009). Choosing in schools: locating the benefits of specialisation. Oxford Review of Education 35(2): 147-167.
• Davies, P., Telhajb, S., Hutton, D., Adnett, N. & Coe, R. (2009). Competition, cream-skimming and department performance within secondary schools. British Educational Research Journal 35(1): 65-81.
• Telhaj, S., Admnett, N., Davies, P., Hutton, D. & Coe, R. (2009). Increasing within-school competition: a case for department level performance indicators? Research Papers in Education 24(1): 45-55.
• Coe, R. (2009). School Improvement: Reality and Illusion. British Journal of Educational Studies 57(4): 363-379.
• Coe, R. (2009). Unobserved but not unimportant: The effects of unmeasured variables on causal attributions. Effective Education 1(2): 101-122.
• Coe, R.J. (2008). Comparability of GCSE examinations in different subjects: an application of the Rasch model. Oxford Review of Education 34(5): 609-636.
• Tymms, P.B., Merrell, C. & Coe, R.J. (2008). Educational Policies and randomized Controlled Trials. The Psychology of Education Review 32(2): 3-7 & 26-29.
• Luyten, H., Peschar, J. & Coe, R. (2008). Effects of Schooling on Reading Performance, Reading Engagement and Reading Activities of 15-year-olds in England. American Educational Research Journal 45(2): 319-342.
• Davies, Pl., Telhaj, S., Hutton, D, Adnett, N. & Coe, R. (2008). Socioeconomic background, gender and subject choice in secondary schooling. Educational Research 50(3): 235-248.
• Shayer, M., Ginsburg, D. & Coe, R.J. (2007). Thirty years on - a large anti-Flynn effect? The Piagetian test Volume & Heaviness norms 1975-2003. British Journal of Educational Psychology 77(1): 25-41.
• Penny, A.R. & Coe, R. (2004). Effectiveness of consultation on student ratings feedback: A meta-analysis. Review Of Educational Research 74(2): 215-253.
• Barmby, P. & Coe, R. (2004). Evaluating the MEI 'Enabling Access to Further Mathematics' Project. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications 23(3): 119-132.
• Tymms, P. & Coe, R. (2003). Celebration of the success of distributed research with schools: the CEM centre, Durham. British Educational Research Journal 29(5): 639-653.
• Visscher, A.J. & Coe, R. (2003). School Performance Feedback Systems: Conceptualisation, Analysis, and Reflection. School Effectiveness and School Improvement 14(3): 321-349.
• Coe RJ (1998). Can feedback improve teaching? A review of the social science literature with a view to identifying the conditions under which giving feedback to teachers will result in improved performance. Research Papers in Education 13(1): 43-66.

Journal papers: professional

• Coe, R. (2010). Standards Issue. Make the Grade 18-21.
• Coe, R. (2006). What is Assessment for?. Make the Grade 18-20.

Books: authored

• A.J. Visscher & R. Coe (2002). School improvement through performance feedback. Contexts of learning; 10; Exton, PA.

Books: edited

• Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. & Hedges, L.V. (2012). Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. Sage.

Books: sections

• Coe, R. (2012). Conducting your research. In Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. & Hedges, L.V. Sage. 41-52.
• Coe, R. (2012). Effect size. In Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. & Hedges, L.V. Sage. 368-377.
• Coe, R. (2012). The nature of educational research - exploring the different understandings of educational research. In Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R & Hedges, L.V. Sage. 5-14.
• Tymms, P. & Coe, R. (2009). Conclusions: Assessment in an Era of Globalization. In Multicultural Psychoeducational Assessment. Grigorenko, E. Madison, WI: Apex. 469-485.
• Coe, R.J. (2007). Commentary on Chapter 4: "Alternative conceptions of comparability" by Jo-Anne Baird. In Techniques for monitoring the comparability of examination standards. Newton, P., Baird, J., Goldstein, H., Patrick, H. & Tymms, P. London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
• Coe, R.J. (2007). Common Examinee Methods. In Techniques for monitoring the comparability of examination standards.. Newton, P., Baird, J., Goldstein, H., Patrick, H. & Tymms, P. London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
• Coe, R.J. (2006). What do we really know from school improvement and effectiveness research? In Educational Studies: Issues and Critical Perspectives. Kassem, D., Mufti, E. & Robinson, J. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
• Coe, R. (2004). Issues arising from the use of effect sizes in analysing and reporting research. In But what does it mean? The use of effect sizes in educational research. Schagen, I. & Elliot, K. Slough: National Foundation for Educational Research. 80-100.
• R. Coe (2002). Evidence on the Role and Impact of Performance Feedback in Schools. In School Improvement through Performance Feedback. A.J. Visscher & R. Coe Lisse, Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger. 27-39.

Reports: official

• Coe, R. & Kokotsaki, D. (2010). How can Educational Accountability Systems help the Poorest Children? A Report for Save the Children. Durham.
• Sykes, R. et al. (2010). The Sir Richard Sykes Review. London.
• Wiggins, A., Coe, R., Jones, K. & Kan, M-Y. (2009). Evidence of educational support outside of school. London.
• Coe, R., Jones, K., Searle, J., Kokotsaki, C., Mohd Kosnin, A. & Skinner, P. (2008). Evidence on the effects of selective educational systems. London.
• Coe, R.J., Searle, J., Barmby, P., Jones, K. & Higgins, S. (2008). Relative difficulty of examinations in different subjects. CEM Centre, School of Education.
• Coe, R.J. & Tymms, P.B. (2008). Summary of research on changes in educational standards in the UK. Institute of Directors. London.
• Coe, R.J. (2007). Changes in standards at GCSE and A-level: Evidence from ALIS and YELLIS. Centre for Curriculum, Evaluation and Management. Durham.
• Barmby, P. & Coe, R (2004). Evaluation of the Repayment of Teachers' Loans Scheme. Curriculum Evaluation and Management Centre. Durham, DfES Publications.
• Tymms, P., Coe, R. & Barmby,P. (2002). Module 2 summary: LEA focus. Basic Skills Agency.
• Tymms, P., Coe, R. & Barmby, P. (2002). Primary quality mark research: module 1 summary. Basic Skills Agency.

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Education: Examination standards
• Education: Assessment
• General policy: Evaluation of policy impact

Supervises

• Mrs K Jones
• Mr Stuart Kime
• Mr Martin Walker
• Pei-chi Shih