Session Information
09 SES 11 B, Issues in Formative and Alternative Assessments
Paper Session
Contribution
This study examined the perceptions and experiences of Turkish elementary science and technology education teachers in 4th through 7th grade science and technology education classes in regards to the use, processes and contribution of formative assessment to learning and teaching. Specifically this research sought to answer the following questions: (1) To what degree does formative assessment contribute to 4th through 7th grade students’ learning of science and technology? (2) To what degree does formative assessment contribute to teaching of elementary school teachers with respect to science and technology education? (3) What are the perceptions and experiences of elementary school teachers in regards to the use and processes of formative assessment in science and technology education classes?
Assessment of students’ learning in elementary science and technology classrooms is relatively formal and seldom conducted in a systematic way, with a focus on evaluating learning as a product, not a process. However, assessment involves more than the products and outcomes of learning; it concerns how students learn and make sense of their world (Buldu, 2010). Formative assessment is an integral part of the optimal teaching/learning process. Its purpose is to determine what and how the student understands and why, so that teaching and learning may be optimized (Black & Wiliam, 1998). Formative assessment can be formal or informal and includes eliciting, analyzing, and responding to information about student understanding (Ruiz-Primo & Furtak, 2007).
Skilled and knowledgeable teachers are needed to practice formative assessment in elementary science and technology education classes. Knowledge and skills in conducting observations, capturing critical interactions and learning experiences, analyzing and interpreting evidence of learning, giving feedback to students and supporting them in self-assessment are required by the teachers (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008). Thus, for this research, a group elementary school teacher was selected for an intervention program that aimed to improve formative assessment knowledge and skills of those teachers. Then they implemented formative assessment in their classes and shared their perceptions of and experiences with formative assessment.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148. Buldu, M. (2010). Making learning visible in kindergarten classrooms: Pedagogical documentation as a formative assessment. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(7), 1439-1449 Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design. Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Council of Chief State School Officers (2008). Attributes of effective formative assessment. Retrieved on September 1, 2011 from http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2008/Attributes_of_Effective_2008.pdf Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Ruiz-Primo & Furtak, (2007). Exploring teachers’ informal formative assessment practices and students’ understanding in the context of scientific inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(1), 57-84. Strauss, A. L., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
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