Adapting science performance tasks developed in different countries for use in Irish primary schools

Abstract

This article describes a four-year project undertaken to develop a set of performance tasks that could be used for assessing hands-on science in Irish primary schools. It begins by considering some of the literature on performance assessment and concludes with a discussion on the potential of the tasks to support teaching and learning in science. The main body of the article is structured to reflect the five phases of the research project itself. In phase one, science assessments used in a variety of educational systems in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States were located and catalogued. In phase two, approximately 170 performance tasks were selected and adapted by the authors to suit the requirements of the Irish primary science curriculum. In phase three, a purposive convenience sample of teachers evaluated the extent to which the tasks (a subset of 67) were suitable for use at different grade levels. The teachers’ feedback was used to amend tasks. In phase four, the researchers observed 11 different tasks being implemented in classrooms. The eleven teachers involved were interviewed about their experiences immediately afterwards. Again, based on the outcomes of this study, changes were made to the tasks. The fifth phase of the project, due to be completed in 2006, will involve the dissemination of 124 of the tasks to teachers via a booklet and a CD-ROM. Future prospects relating to other elements of the project such as Web-based resources, professional development courses and exemplars of performance are also discussed.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the help and support provided by participating primary schools, teachers and pupils in the evaluation and trialling phases of the project. This research was generously funded by a grant from the Research and Development Committee of the Department of Education and Science.

Notes

1. The previous curriculum contained a subject called Social and Environmental Studies. This consisted of Human Environment, Animal Life and Plant Life with suggestions for nature expeditions and investigation tables. It was only in the syllabus for fifth and sixth class that the term ‘Elementary Science’ was used.

2. During these days, teachers attended professional development courses related to the 1999 curriculum in their schools. Science was allocated two curriculum days.

3. The three dimensions were:

• Task and pupil issues (prompts: Working alone/pairs/group? Discussion/questioning? Skills in evidence? Use of materials/worksheet? Enjoyment? On task?)

• Task and teacher issues (prompts: Initial directions to pupils? Classroom management? Interaction with pupils? Explaining/narrating? Use of rubric/record sheet? Formative or summative assessment?)

• Other (prompts: Prep done beforehand? Task appropriateness? Concept clarity? Suitability for which skills? Resources including worksheet? Time?)

A new page for recording observations under these headings was used every ten minutes.

4. The questions asked were: What did you learn about individual pupils’ skills and knowledge? Did the scoring guide help you to identify pupil achievements and challenges? What use will you make of this information? Did you use the record sheet? How? Was it Useful? Manageable? (Or do you think you would you use the record sheet? How? etc). Was the task description sufficiently clear? Was the worksheet appropriate? (What would you change?) How do you feel your pupils reacted to the task? (What would you change?) Overall, do you think tasks like these would be useful for assessing hands-on science? What challenges do you think these tasks would present to teachers in general? Do you have any other comments to make?

5. ‘Helpers’ or subject experts.