The internal assessment of practical skills in science in England and Wales, 1960‐1991: some issues in historical perspective

In 1960, the internal assessment of pupils’ practical competence as a component of a public examination in science in England and Wales was virtually unknown. A generation later, such assessment is a requirement of the Key Stage 4 examination of all pupils studying science as part of the national curriculum. This paper identifies and examines some of the factors that have brought about this change and discusses some of the issues raised by the attempts made to assess practical competence in science in ways that are valid, reliable and command public and professional confidence. It also suggests that the contemporary emphasis on the internal assessment of practical skills has generated a substantial research agenda that includes significant questions about the relationships between science curriculum reform and the mediation and negotiation of science education policy at various levels within an education system.