Issues and Challenges in School-Based Assessment of Science Practical Work

Yung, Benny Hin Wai

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-3980-2_9

“…This practice is the antithesis of the aims of internal assessment, which are to allow assessment to be integrated with teaching and learning and to assess a much greater range of skills (Davison & Leung, 2009;Harlen, 2006;Maxwell, 2004;NZQA, n.d.a). However, the practice is not unusual and aligns with findings on teachers' practices with internal assessment in Hong Kong (Yung, 2012) and other studies on the New Zealand system (East, 2016;Moeed, 2010). Yung claimed that teachers' beliefs seemed to be a key driver in how the teachers in his study operationalised internal assessment; however, participants in this study seemed to understand that alternative forms of assessment, such as portfolios, were more pedagogically defensible, but cited pragmatic reasons for not using them.…”

Section: Pragmatic Decision-makingsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Maxwell (2004) and Harlen (2006) provided theoretical possibilities for the formative and summative functions of assessment to be implemented within internal assessment; however, empirical studies have found that teachers vary in their implementation of internal assessment in practice. Yung's (2012) qualitative case study of 10 Hong Kong science teachers reported different approaches by teachers to practical science assessment. Some teachers conducted these separately from classroom practice, in test-like conditions, which generates few opportunities to provide formative feedback, whereas others made assessment judgements in the course of the students' learning, while at the same time giving them formative feedback.…”

Section: School-based (Internal) Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, the type of task chosen may provide formative opportunities; for example, a portfolio of evidence gathered over time would allow for the summative function of assessment to be integrated with the formative function. Harlen (2006) and Maxwell (2004) speculated that it is possible to use internal assessment to fulfil both functions of assessment, and empirical studies from New Zealand (East, 2016) and Hong Kong (Yung, 2012) have reported that some teachers do provide multiple and ongoing opportunities throughout the year to attain the requirements of internal assessment. Teachers in this study who adopted this latter stance would consider that NCEA internal assessment can contribute formatively to student learning.…”

Section: Exploratory Factor Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Economics and accounting teachers’ beliefs about school-based assessment, the summative and formative tension: A mixed method study

Yates¹

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<p>The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is New Zealand’s main national qualification for senior secondary school students. A key feature of NCEA is that it allows for more than half of students’ final NCEA grades to be assessed by teachers during the school year through school-based assessment, known as internal assessment. This key role of teachers in awarding qualifications is likely to have an impact on their conceptions of assessment, conceptions of assessment that are not necessarily fixed. In turn, conceptions can influence teaching practice and are likely to have an impact on how teachers implement internal assessment. This thesis uses an explanatory sequential, mixed methods design to investigate a group of economics and accounting teachers’ conceptions of assessment, their practices in relation to NCEA internally-assessed standards, and the influences on those practices. G.T.L. Brown’s (2006) Teachers’ Conception of Assessment Abridged (TCoAIIIA) Inventory was used to investigate the participants’ conceptions of assessment, and interviews were conducted to probe their internal assessment practices and reasons for those practices. The quantitative data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis which showed an inadmissible fit to G.T.L. Brown’s (2006) model. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis revealed partly similar and partly different dimensions in the data, compared with those previously reported in other studies using the TCoAIIIA. Qualitative data were thematically analysed and when the qualitative and quantitative data were considered together, greater similarities with G.T.L. Brown’s model emerged. Participants revealed four overarching conceptions of assessment: assessment is for learning; assessment is for qualifications; assessment is for accountability; and assessment is detrimental. This finding has reinforced the view that teachers’ conceptions of assessment are ecologically rational in that a distinct conception that probably relates to the role participants play in assessing for NCEA emerged. Despite this role, participants also adhered to the conception that a primary function of assessment is to improve students’ learning; furthermore, they did not support the use of assessment results as a measure of school quality. An implication of this finding is a belief that promoting a school-accountability use of assessment results is likely to be counter-productive to students’ learning. The qualitative findings revealed a complex set of beliefs and practices towards implementing the internally-assessed component of NCEA, and that beliefs were only one influence on teachers’ internal assessment practices. Teachers had to balance their beliefs with the systemic realities of NCEA and their school’s policy requirements, and articulated a tension between the improvement and accountability conceptions of assessment. Moderation processes, procedures and policy encouraged teachers into a cycle of safe rather than innovative internal assessment practice, which means that the original vision for NCEA internal assessment is yet to be realised. There are implications of this finding for professional development, leadership of assessment, and initial teacher education. One such implication is a requirement for professional development that would provide teachers with successful, innovative internal assessment practices, rather than the present approach which focusses on the reliability of marking. Schools’ management needs to take a greater role in leading and encouraging pedagogically sound internal assessment, rather than focussing primarily on agreement rates with NZQA moderators. Initial teacher educators could also introduce student teachers to effective internal assessment practices and to encourage such practices. In addition, attempts to change teachers’ assessment practices need to consider existing conceptions of assessment because beliefs have an impact on practices and may need to be challenged. While there is debate about whether beliefs change practice or vice versa, one cannot be changed without considering the other.</p>

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School-Based Assessment of Science Students’ Practical Skills in Hong Kong

Cheung

¹

2016

Science Education Research and Practice in Asia

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Economics and accounting teachers’ beliefs about school-based assessment, the summative and formative tension: A mixed method study

Yates¹

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

<p>The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is New Zealand’s main national qualification for senior secondary school students. A key feature of NCEA is that it allows for more than half of students’ final NCEA grades to be assessed by teachers during the school year through school-based assessment, known as internal assessment. This key role of teachers in awarding qualifications is likely to have an impact on their conceptions of assessment, conceptions of assessment that are not necessarily fixed. In turn, conceptions can influence teaching practice and are likely to have an impact on how teachers implement internal assessment. This thesis uses an explanatory sequential, mixed methods design to investigate a group of economics and accounting teachers’ conceptions of assessment, their practices in relation to NCEA internally-assessed standards, and the influences on those practices. G.T.L. Brown’s (2006) Teachers’ Conception of Assessment Abridged (TCoAIIIA) Inventory was used to investigate the participants’ conceptions of assessment, and interviews were conducted to probe their internal assessment practices and reasons for those practices. The quantitative data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis which showed an inadmissible fit to G.T.L. Brown’s (2006) model. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis revealed partly similar and partly different dimensions in the data, compared with those previously reported in other studies using the TCoAIIIA. Qualitative data were thematically analysed and when the qualitative and quantitative data were considered together, greater similarities with G.T.L. Brown’s model emerged. Participants revealed four overarching conceptions of assessment: assessment is for learning; assessment is for qualifications; assessment is for accountability; and assessment is detrimental. This finding has reinforced the view that teachers’ conceptions of assessment are ecologically rational in that a distinct conception that probably relates to the role participants play in assessing for NCEA emerged. Despite this role, participants also adhered to the conception that a primary function of assessment is to improve students’ learning; furthermore, they did not support the use of assessment results as a measure of school quality. An implication of this finding is a belief that promoting a school-accountability use of assessment results is likely to be counter-productive to students’ learning. The qualitative findings revealed a complex set of beliefs and practices towards implementing the internally-assessed component of NCEA, and that beliefs were only one influence on teachers’ internal assessment practices. Teachers had to balance their beliefs with the systemic realities of NCEA and their school’s policy requirements, and articulated a tension between the improvement and accountability conceptions of assessment. Moderation processes, procedures and policy encouraged teachers into a cycle of safe rather than innovative internal assessment practice, which means that the original vision for NCEA internal assessment is yet to be realised. There are implications of this finding for professional development, leadership of assessment, and initial teacher education. One such implication is a requirement for professional development that would provide teachers with successful, innovative internal assessment practices, rather than the present approach which focusses on the reliability of marking. Schools’ management needs to take a greater role in leading and encouraging pedagogically sound internal assessment, rather than focussing primarily on agreement rates with NZQA moderators. Initial teacher educators could also introduce student teachers to effective internal assessment practices and to encourage such practices. In addition, attempts to change teachers’ assessment practices need to consider existing conceptions of assessment because beliefs have an impact on practices and may need to be challenged. While there is debate about whether beliefs change practice or vice versa, one cannot be changed without considering the other.</p>

show abstract

Issues and Challenges in School-Based Assessment of Science Practical Work

Cited by 3 publications

References 21 publications

Economics and accounting teachers’ beliefs about school-based assessment, the summative and formative tension: A mixed method study

Economics and accounting teachers’ beliefs about school-based assessment, the summative and formative tension: A mixed method study

School-Based Assessment of Science Students’ Practical Skills in Hong Kong

Economics and accounting teachers’ beliefs about school-based assessment, the summative and formative tension: A mixed method study

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