Approaches to assessment in secondary science for PGCE

University Degree Education and Teaching

Assessment

Running Head: APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT IN SECONDARY SCIENCE FOR PGCE

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Approaches to assessment in secondary science for PGCE

Introduction

Assessment involves considering attitudes, processes, skills and products, and occurs through the observation and analysis of student's work (Gibbons 2001, 282 Reader, 379). Reasons for incorporating assessment as part of the learning program include maintaining an accurate record of student's literacy development, and responsibly reporting on the literacy abilities of each student (Green and Campbell 2003, 179). A further purpose of assessing the development of students is to be able to describe what they are able to do. Teachers then use this information to evaluate students' individual strengths and needs, and from there, to determine the content and direction of the program (Green and Campbell 2003, 179).

Education Theorists

Maria Montessori

The teaching practices of Maria Montessori have been highly influential on current practice as many specialised Montessori nurseries are currently running up and down the country. They promote her curriculum of independency and use many of her approaches to practice such as the idea that the child’s freedom, dignity and independence are of paramount importance. In a typical Montessori nursery there is a general atmosphere of children doing things for themselves carefully and competently – carrying furniture, setting tables, pouring drinks, washing their hands – and following activities which absorb and interest them. This is, in some ways, a very different method to the practices used in government run nurseries etc. as they follow a more standard curriculum where reading and writing are encouraged more formally and learning plans set out at an early age. These clear guidelines from the various frameworks and curriculum’s undoubtedly show the positive effect Maria Montessori has had on current practice, and that her theories have been widely acknowledged within teaching practice today.

Rudolf Steiner

Rudolf Steiner set up the Waldorf schools where the main consideration is around practical activities that develop the mind and the imagination. The types of activities that Steiner introduced in his schools were things such as knitting, weaving, playing a musical instrument, woodcarving and painting. These are very much practical based activities and many are still carried on in schools today such as learning to play an instrument. This is seen as an important activity for children in the early years and lessons and clubs for this are seen as mainstream activities. Steiner believed that education should be designed to suit the changing needs of a child as they develop mentally, physically and emotionally. His ideas on allowing children to be taught by the same teacher for up to seven years have been adopted in some ways by secondary schools as a class is given the same form tutor for up to five years and then another for two years if they progress to higher education.

Friedrich Froebel

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Friedrich Froebel

Friedrich Froebel’s ‘kindergarten’ is the modern day nursery, playgroup or parent and toddlers group. He wanted parents to be fully involved with their children’s learning and play an active role in their child’s educational development. This was an important feature of Froebel’s vision and can be seen in current practices through parent/teacher evenings and the various reports and progress write ups that are sent home to parents from early years settings. The placement I am currently with send home term reports explaining to parents and carers how their child is doing with regards to education and also to their social, emotional and physical well-being. Froebel believed the role of the mother was to recognise their child’s capacity for learning and wanted to encourage the parents to support the children with this, and as you can see from the current approaches to this in early year’s settings his work has helped to develop the understanding of the importance of the role of a child’s family in their learning and nurturing. He also believed children learn through structured play at their readiness, in an organised and prepared learning environment. This is similar to the guidelines of the curriculum’s and frameworks we use today as children are taught through structured activities that are carried out in stimulating environments.

Margaret McMillan

Margaret McMillan was another early year’s educator who has inspired and influenced many of the current provisions and practices used today. Her main emphasis was on fresh air, exercise and nourishment, and still influences some aspects of current English nursery practice. Many early years settings regard outdoor play as an important aspect of a child’s learning, and gardens and play areas are available for the children at either frequent intervals throughout the day, for a substantial amount of time (as can be seen in the placement I am currently at), or constant access is given. McMillan recognised that imagination is good for society as a whole, an idea that is seen in the educational reforms of the 20th century, and can be clearly seen in the practices within her nurseries today. She believed that children are ‘active’ learners, meaning they learn whilst doing something (usually playing), a concept that has been brought into current practices as practical activities that involve moving about or using some kind of resource, and especially general play, is now much more emphasised in early years settings than it previously was.

Susan Isaac

Susan Isaac’s was also a believer that play is central to learning, and also that parents/carers are seen as partners, working with teachers and their child to develop and support their child’s abilities. This is similar to Froebel’s theories on parent/teacher relationships in the way that he saw parents as the main educators of young children. This concept is still clearly seen in the practices of early year’s settings as parents are encouraged to be involved in every aspect of a child’s learning, and have the opportunity to work with the teacher in developing their child’s abilities. This benefits the children and the parents as both can create a bond with each other through the education of the child, and the parent will be able to understand more fully how their child learns best and how to encourage and support them if they are struggling.

Assessment Strategies

Assessment strategies describe the process of interpreting the information collected through assessment, and should not be confused with the term 'assessment' itself. However, they are very much interconnected and as a result, there are a number of conditions surrounding the development of assessment tools, in order that the information they provide be uncontaminated and, as such, of use in the evaluation process.

The Curriculum Framework outlines five main features of a balanced approach to assessment. These are, in turn, that assessment produces valid and reliable data, and that it be educative, explicit, fair and comprehensive (EDWA 2008, 106-107). The Curriculum framework believes that "assessment should make a positive contribution to student learning." In the sense that assessment needs to perform an educative function, information gathered about student strengths and weaknesses should be provided to teachers, students and their parents, so that future planning can incorporate this knowledge. Students can also use this information to self-monitor and reflect on their progress, fostering self directed learning. Within a literacy program, examining samples of student's work is one way to view "patterns of changes and development over a period of time" (Evans 2000, 282 Reader, 372). Such samples may include cloze activities, re-tells, or diary writing, among countless others.

The case for formative assessment is currently very strong and was enhanced vastly by the findings of Black & Wiliam's Beyond the Black Box findings of 2008. The case in favour of formative assessment is particularly strong in the field of science due to the constructivist view of learning which it fosters. The central feature of this is 'the recognition of the role of learners in actively constructing ideas or concepts rather than absorbing them passively from teachers or other sources' (Harlen, 2004, p6). A learner must use past experience to make sense of new ones. Ideas to begin to explain new experience must be tested out, sometimes mentally, sometimes through practical experimentation. The mental processes involved are an essential part in developing understanding in the consructivist view of learning.

Practical Assessment

I analyzed the learning of 3 students over 3 lessons. I have chosen 3 student year 9 KS3 Biology. I have thought them the chapter Plant and Photosynthesis. Here is what I did to analyse the learning process.

Lesson 1 Assessment

In Lesson 1 I taught the students how plants make their own food and to know the factors which influence photosynthesis. I revised the structure of the plant cell that they had learnt in year 7. Asking question about different component of the plant cell to find out their knowledge about plant and photosynthesis. Student 1 knew the cell structure and the role of the components. Student 2 asked question about the difference between chloroplast and chlorophyll. I asked the students who can answer the question. Student 1 gave the right answer. I asked them what a plant need to make its own food and student 1 said the equation of photosynthesis. I asked the student to work in pair and think of some factors that might influence the process of photosynthesis. I paired them that my 3 students will work each in different groups. Student 3 said light, carbon dioxide levels and water. From question and answers that they designed I conclude that student 1,2 and 3 understood the process of photosynthesis. Student 1 was able to write the symbol equation of photosynthesis.

Lesson 2 Assessment

In Lesson 2, I let the students carry out an experiment and demonstrate the relationship between light and photosynthesis. I shared the objectives with students and give clear explanation of what is expected from them to do, also I gave them a work sheet with stages of the experiment. They had to work in pairs. Student 3 asked why we use a water bath to heat up the alcohol and not direct the Bunsen burner. I asked the class if they can answer the question. Student 1 said that the boiling point of alcohol is lower than the water. I demonstrate that the alcohol is highly flammable too and for them is safe to do the water bath. I asked them to reflect on the experiment and draw the conclusion of the experiment working in pairs. Student 1, 2,3 were able to see the relationship between light and photosynthesis.

Lesson 3 Assessment

In the next lesson my lesson objective was to know the structure of the leaf and the role of different components. I thought them about the structure of the leaf and draw a diagram on the table. I gave them a leaf and asked them to observe the differences between the 2 sides. Student 3 said that the top side is more ‘greener’ and I explain that the top layer is cover by a waxy coated. For the next layer I draw the palisade cells and I asked them to observe their structure and why photosynthesis takes place mainly in this type of cell. They worked in pairs and student 2 comes up with the answers that are many chloroplasts. This answer was for me an indicator that he understood now the difference between chloroplast and chlorophyll because in the first lesson he was not sure. Student 1 said that the water travel through that veins. Than student 2 concluded that the veins are ducts in which water travels. I told them the names of the channels and that the glucose needs to be transported as well in different parts of the plants. I draw the last layer and asked them for what is needed the holes called stoma. Student 2 said fir gases to go in and out of the leaf. In plenary I gave them to complete a worksheet about the structure of the plant and then I used peer assessment and to give advice on how they can improve.

Conclusion

So, for maximum benefit to future teaching, assessment of a topic should occur before the teaching begins so that existing knowledge may be used to scaffold new ideas onto, and so that any serious misconceptions may be addressed. Concept maps can be an excellent way to begin this process. They are diagrammatic ways of representing conceptual links between words. As they represent what a child 'thinks' there can be no right or wrong responses, thus rendering them less than threatening than a written test. Using an assessment sheet such as that in appendix ii can focus a teacher on specific actions and children and gives space to record notable achievement or weakness. Sheets such as these also provide a permanent record of evidence which may be used to communicate achievement to other adults. The strategies described are by no means exhaustive and there are certainly some methods of collecting assessment information which would lend themselves to older children. Getting children to evaluate their own work can be a very useful activity as it highlights their involvement in the learning process and their feedback may indicate areas where more time needs to be spent and where it may be saved.

References

Black, P., Wiliam, D et al (2002) Working inside the black box. London: Nelson Publishing Company Ltd.

Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (2007). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham

Green, G.D. and Campbell, G.D. (2003). Needs and capacity assessment strategies for health education and health promotion, 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA, Jones & Bartlett.

Harlen, W. & Qualter, A. The teaching of science in primary schools. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.

Harlen, W. (2004) Teaching, learning and assessing science 5 - 12. (3rd Ed.) London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Howe, A., Davies, D., McMahon, K., Towler, L & Scott, T. (2005) Science 5 -11: A guide for teachers. London: David Fulton Publishers Ltd.