| Summary: | The assessment of learning in school science is important to the students,
educators, policy makers, and the general public. Changes in curriculum and instruction
in science have led to greater emphasis upon alternative modes of assessment. Most
significant of these newer approaches is “performance assessment”, where students
manipulate materials in experimental situations. Only recently has the development of
performance assessment procedures, and the appropriate strategies for interpreting their
results, received substantial research attention.
In this study, educational measurement and science education perspectives are
synthesized into an integrated analysis of the validity of procedures, inferences and
consequences arising from the use of performance assessment. The Student Performance
Component of the 1991 B.C. Science Assessment is offered as an example. A framework
for the design, implementation, and interpretation of hands-on assessment in school
science is presented, with validity and feasibility considered at every stage. Particular
attention is given to a discussion of the influence of construct labels upon assessment
design. A model for the description of performance assessment tasks is proposed. This
model has the advantage of including both the science content and the science skill
demands for each task. The model is then expanded to show how simultaneous
representation of multiple tasks enhances the ability to ensure adequate sampling from
appropriate content domains.
The main conclusion of this validation inquiry is that every aspect of performance
assessment in science is influenced by the perspective towards learning in science that
permeates the assessment, and that this influence must be considered at all times.
Recommendations are made for those carrying out practical assessments, as well as
suggestions of areas that invite further research. === Education, Faculty of === Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of === Graduate
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