No abstract

There is growing research interest in both the challenges and opportunities learners face in trying to represent scientific understanding, processes and reasoning. These challenges are increasingly well understood by researchers, including integrating verbal, visual and mathematical modes in science discourse, and making strong conceptual links between classroom experiences and diverse 3D and 2D representations. However, a matching enhanced pedagogy of representation-rich learning opportunities, including their theoretical justification, is much less clearly established. Our paper reports on part of a three-year project to identify practical and theoretical issues entailed in developing a pedagogical framework to guide teacher understanding and practices to maximize representational opportunities for learners to develop conceptual understandings in science.

The aims of this study were to evaluate reliability and validity of the Students' Perception of Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), to evaluate students' perception on assessment, and to evaluate gender-based, grade-based, and ethnicity-based differences in students' perceptions. The validity and reliability coefficients revealed that the SPAQ was suitable for assessing students' perceptions on five assessment dimensions. The average scale-item mean values for all the scales were less than 3.0, which indicates a need to address these dimensions of assessment at classroom level. The mean value for Student Consultation scale was 1.96 out of 4, indicating a need for special attention in this area. The perceptions of students grouped on the basis of gender and of grade level groups were comparable, but on the basis of ethnic groups were statistically significantly different. Assuming these differences to be real, does it mean that teaching approaches will need to be addressed? Future research in this area is warranted.

This chapter reports a study linking students' perceptions of learning environments and assessment with academic efficacy and attitude to science in Australian secondary schools. Five scales of the What Is Happening In this Class questionnaire were used to assess the learning environment. A specially validated instrument, the Students' Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire assessed five assessment characteristics: Congruence with Planned Learning, Authenticity, Student Consultation, Transparency and Diversity. Scales to assess attitude to science and one academic efficacy scale were employed as outcome measures. MUltiple regression and structural equation modelling with LISREL 8.3 were used to study relationships among these variables and the extent to which a postulated model fitted the data. Results showed that classroom environment and student perceptions of assessment were significant positive predictors of academic efficacy and attitude to science.

Personalised learning is now broadly endorsed as a key strategy to improve student curricular engagement and academic attainment, but there is also strong critique of this construct. We review claims made for this approach, as well as concerns about its conceptual coherence and effects on different learner cohorts. Drawing on literature around differentiation of the curriculum, self‐regulated learning, and ‘relational agency’ we propose a framework for conceptualising and enacting this construct. We then report on an attempt to introduce personalised learning as one strategy, among several, to improve student academic performance and wellbeing in four low SES regional secondary schools in Australia. We report on a survey of 2407 students’ perceptions of the extent to which their school provided a personalised learning environment, and a case study of a programme within one school that aimed to apply a personalised approach to the mathematics curriculum. We found that while there were ongoing challenges in this approach, there was also evidence of success in the mathematics case.