Practical work must be assessed in a way that will promote the development of key skills necessary
for destinations beyond the physics school laboratory. This paper reports on a study which sought
to find out teachers’ views and practices on the assessment of Advanced Level (‘A’ level) physics
students’ practical work skills. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were conducted
to get physics teachers’ views and practices on practical work skills assessment.
The views of physics teachers were that the current method of practical work assessment used by
the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) is not efficient in encouraging students to
develop a variety of practical work skills as students concentrated on mastering presentation and
analysis skills at the expense of other crucial practical work skills like equipment manipulation,
observational, planning and designing. The study recommends that alternative methods of
practical work assessment that integrates both direct assessment of practical work skills (DAPS)
and indirect assessment of practical work skills (IAPS) should be used to ensure valid and reliable
assessment of practical work skills of ‘A’ level physics students.
REFERENCES(25)
1.
Abrahams, I., & and Millar, R. (2008). Does practical work really work? A study of the effectiveness of practical work as a teaching and learning method in school science. International Journal of Science Education, 30(14), 19451969. https://doi.org/10.1080/095006....
Abrahams, I., & Saglam, M. (2010). A study of teachers’ views on practical work in secondary schools in England and Wales. International Journal of Science Education, 32(6), 753768. https://doi.org/10.1080/095006....
Abrahams, I., Reiss, M. J., & Sharpe, R. M. (2013). The assessment of practical work in school science. Studies in Science Education, 49(2), 209251. https://doi.org/10.1080/030572....
Bell, B., & Cowie, B. (2001). The characteristics of formative assessment in science education. Journal of Science Education, 85(1), 536553. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10....
Erickson, G. K., & Meyer, (2003). Performance assessment tasks in science: What are they measuring? In B. J. Fraser & K. G. Tobin (eds). International Handbook of Science Education. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
Gopal, N., & Stears, M. (2007). An alternative approach to assessing science competencies. African Journal in Science and Mathematics Education, 11(2), 1524. https://doi.org/10.1080/102884....
Hodson, D. (2006). Laboratory work as scientific method: three decades of confusion and distortion. Journal of curriculum studies, 28(2), 115-135 https://doi.org/10.1080/002202....
Kennedy, D., & Bennet, J. (2005) Response to assessment of practical work in Ireland: A critique by Mathews, P & Mckenna, P. International Journal of Science Education 27(10), 12251227. https://doi.org/10.1080/095006....
Lavonen, J., & Laaksonen, S. (2009). Context of teaching and learning school science in Finland: Reflections on PISA 2006 results. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(8), 922944. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20....
Lunnetta, V. N., Hofstein, A., & Clough, M. P. (2007). Teaching and Learning in the school science laboratory: An analysis of research theory and Practice. Handbook of Research in Science Education.
Mathews, P. S. C., & McKenna, P. J. (2005). Assessment of practical work in Ireland: A Critique. International Journal of Science Education, 27(10), 12111224. https://doi.org/10.1080/095006....
Millar, R. (2004). The role of practical work in the teaching and learning of science. Paper prepared for the committee: High school science laboratories: Role and Vision natural science laboratories. Washington DC: University of York.
Nadji, T., Lachi, M., & Blanton, K. (2003). Assessment strategies for laboratory reports. The Physics Teacher, 41(1), 5657. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1533....
Reiss, M., Abrahams, I., & Sharpe, R. (2012). Improving the assessment of practical work in school science, A report on the assessment of practical work in school science: Institute of education. University of London.
Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2004). A written test for procedural understanding: A way forward for assessment in the UK science curriculum? Research in Science and Technology Education, 22(6), 521. https://doi.org/10.1080/026351....
Treagust, D. C. (2008). Using assessment as a guide in teaching for understanding: a case study of middle school science class learning about sound. Science Education Journal, 85(2), 137157. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-2...<137::AID-SCE30>3.0.CO;2-B.
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.