Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle IMPRESSE Berlin April 3rd, 2007 Lab...

IMPRESSE BerlinApril 3rd, 2007

Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle

Lab Experiments as a Toolof an Everyday Assessment

Developments – experiences - results

David-S. Di Fuccia


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Agenda

1. Reasons for using practical activities for assessment purposes

2. Research questions3. Course of research4. Instruments used for assessment by

practical activities5. Selected results6. Summary


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Meaning of the term ‘assessment‘

Assessment in this context does not necessarily mean the giving of marks but first of all the identification of the extend in which a pupil has achieved a competence. Reason for this identification can be diagnosis or scoring.


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New assessment tools are neededVariability of teaching-methods has increased, testing is the same as beforePISA 20001

New assessment instruments have to focus on diagnosis

Output-orientation and standards for lower secondary education Schools have to enhance their pupils in the

following fields of competence2: Chemical knowledge Scientific method Communication Balancing reasons

1 Deutsches PISA-Konsortium (2000). PISA 2000. Opladen: Leske+Budrich.2 KMK (2004). Bildungsstandards im Fach Chemie für den Mittleren

Schulabschluss. München: Wolters Kluwer.


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Experiences with practical activities

Strong connection to chemical thinkingCritical view at the outcomes of practical activities TIMSS: even simple experimental arrangements

are only understood by 10-15% of the 13 year old pupils 4.

Analysis of cause and effect is done unsystematically5.

Pupils often consider the manual work on an experiment to be the most important phase of an experiment6.

4 Hammann (2004). Kompetenzentwicklungsmodelle. MNU 57/4, 196-203.5 Lunetta (1998). The School Science Laboratory. In Fraser and Tobin:

International Handbook of Science Education. Dordrecht (NL): Kluwer Academic Publishers, 249-262.

6 Demuth (1981). Schülerexperimente im Chemieunterricht (I). NiU P/C 29, 256-259.


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Special chances of practical activities

It seems to be consequent, to use pupil‘s lab work also as an assessment tool because... they offer possibilities for learning in many

important fields of competence. they are of high practical and theoretical

importance in chemistry courses talking about the criteria for a good way of

experimenting could lead to positive side-effects.


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Research questions

1. How can practical activities be used as an assessment instrument which considers broader fields of competence?

2. Are there any further effects using practical activities for assessment purposes?


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Course of research1. Preliminary study

Pro and contra the use of practical activities for assessment purposes

2. Pre-Study: Questionnaires for pupils and teachersa. Rating statements about attitudes towards experimentsb. Open answers about reasons for and against a use of

practical activities for assessment3. Phase of participatory action research

Development of instruments for assessmentby practical activities

4. Post-Study: Questionnaires for pupils and teachers Possibility to measure differences between pre- and post-

test


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Classes involved1. 7th grade, grammar school, North Rhine-Westphalia2. 9th grade, secondary modern school,

North Rhine-Westphalia3. 9th grade, grammar school, Bavaria4. 9th grade, grammar school, Bavaria5. 10th grade, secondary modern school,

North Rhine-Westphalia6. 10th grade, grammar school, North Rhine-Westphalia7. 10th grade, grammar school, Bavaria8. 12th grade, grammar school, Bavaria



How can practical activities be used as an assessment instrument?

Examples of Instruments used for assessment by practical activities


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Examples of instrumentsIntrospection-form „message to myself“2

2 Bohl (2001). Prüfen und Bewerten im Offenen Unterricht. Neuwied, Kriftel: Luchterhand.


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Examples of instruments

Introspection-form „message to myself“2

Criterion of introspection given by the teacher and discussed with the pupils…… focusing on the performance of the experiment

Detailed answers of pupils High affinity to reporting the success of an

experiment

… focusing on social competence Nearly completely answered by the pupils Only superficially answered if the criterion focuses

on the hole group Detailed answers if the criterion only focuses on the

individual2 Bohl (2001). Prüfen und Bewerten im Offenen Unterricht.

Neuwied, Kriftel: Luchterhand.


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Experimental instructions with a complete list of chemicals and equipment but with gaps in the description of the performance of the experiment Difficulty depends on

Number of the gaps Position of the gaps Introduction of the experiment

One can see if a pupil has understood why the experiment is done


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Pupils develop an own experimental instruction Develop an experimental design with which the

pH-value of different soil-samples can be detected!

One step further: develop an experimental series: Which different soil-types do you know and which of them would be worth testing? And why?

These tests are homework to the next lesson.

Clear enhancement of attention and interest


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Teachers ask the pupils which criteria to observe when experimenting Criteria for “good” presentations clearer than for a

“good” way of experimenting

Observation-forms developed based on these criteria A pupil with mostly negative ratings in this

observation-form, has in 100% of the cases a last chemistry-mark of 4 or worse. But the reverse is false.

Pupils and teachers take the observation-forms as basis for a dialogue about possibilities for improvement


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Results of an interviewwith participating teachers

The way of creating assessment tools out of existing material has proved its value flexible low additional effort teachers voluntarily developed and optimized the

material on their own

Teachers are not sure as far as the concrete assessment-criteria are concerned especially in inter-subject and social competence because of this there is nearly no feedback to the

pupils about the assessment results



Selected results

Reasons for and against an assessment by lab work


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Help for estimation„I‘d like to be assessed by practical activities because I’m interested in what my teacher thinks of me and as a help for self-estimation.”PRE: 23.3% of all named reasonsAssessed practical activities are suited for diagnosis„The teacher can see if one has understood the theory the experiment is based on.” PRE: 18.3% of all named reasonsRecognition of the pupil’s efforts„I’d like to be assessed for the experimental setup, so that my hard work is honoured.”PRE: 15.0% of all named reasonsFelt simplicity of lab work„It’s easy to get good marks.” PRE: 14.2% of all named reasons

Pupils’ reasons for an assessment by lab work


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Help for estimation„I‘d like to be assessed by practical activities because I’m interested in what my teacher thinks of me and as a help for self-estimation.”PRE: 23.3% of all named reasons NEW: 8.9%Assessed practical activities are suited for diagnosis„The teacher can see if one has understood the theory the experiment is based on.” PRE: 18.3% of all named reasons NEW: 19.6%Recognition of the pupil’s efforts„I’d like to be assessed for the experimental setup, so that my hard work is honoured.”PRE: 15.0% of all named reasons NEW: 12.5%Felt simplicity of lab work„It’s easy to get good marks.” PRE: 14.2% of all named reasons NEW: 23.2%

Pupils’ reasons for an assessment by lab work


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Pupils’ reasons against an assessment by lab work

Assessment leads to a pressure to do well„You feel a higher pressure to do well.” PRE: 32.7% of all named reasonsOnly assessing results is not appropriate „Results can be faked by copying.“PRE: 22.4% of all named reasonsA fair assessment by lab work is impossible„Practical activities cannot be assessed in a fair way, because there are too many pupils in the class, so that the teacher cannot assess every group.“PRE: 16.3% of all named reasonsExperimenting is fun„If experimenting is assessed, it isn’t fun any longer.“PRE: 8.2% of all named reasons


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Pupils’ reasons against an assessment by lab work

Assessment leads to a pressure to do well„You feel a higher pressure to do well.” PRE: 32.7% of all named reasons NEW: 39.5%Only assessing results is not appropriate „Results can be faked by copying.“PRE: 22.4% of all named reasons NEW: 7.9%A fair assessment by lab work is impossible„Practical activities cannot be assessed in a fair way, because there are too many pupils in the class, so that the teacher cannot assess every group.“PRE: 16.3% of all named reasons NEW: 28.9%Experimenting is fun„If experimenting is assessed, it isn’t fun any longer.“PRE: 8.2% of all named reasons NEW: 13.2%


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SummaryPractical activities can be used as an assessment instrument in lower and higher chemistry educationThey provide information about broader fields of competenceThus they help the teachers to diagnose what the pupils understood and where they still have problemsThe instruments can be provided with low additional effortThe feedback to the pupils does not seem to work properly



?Questions

!Proposals


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Selected results – questionnaire study

130 pupils and 5 teachers involvedHigh standard deviation (up to 0.9)Overall high correspondence between teachers and pupils


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Selected results – questionnaire studyEstimation of the pupils by… (1=low, 4=high)

Pupils(average value)

Teachers (average value)

Pre-StudyPost-Study

Pre-StudyPost-Study

Experiments are helpful for the understanding

3.34 3.40

Experiments are leisure time

2.43 2.20

Experiments are an obvious way of solving problems

2.25 3.80

(*) slightly significant (p<0.1) * significant (p<0.05)

** highly significant (p<0.01) *** significant on highest level (p<0.001)


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Selected results – questionnaire studyEstimation of the pupils by… (1=low, 4=high)

Pupils(average value)

Teachers (average value)

Pre-StudyPost-Study

Pre-StudyPost-Study

Experiments are helpful for the understanding

3.34 3.15(*) 3.40 2.80(*)

Experiments are leisure time

2.43 2.91*** 2.20 2.70

Experiments are an obvious way of solving problems

2.25 2.30 3.80 3.00*

(*) slightly significant (p<0.1) * significant (p<0.05)

** highly significant (p<0.01) *** significant on highest level (p<0.001)

Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle IMPRESSE Berlin April 3rd, 2007 Lab...

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