ASSESSING SCIENCE
PROCESS SKILLS
Learning Outcomes
• At the end of this chapter, the students
will be able to design authentic
assessment, evaluation instruments, and
alternative assessment tools.
Classroom Assessment in
Science
Planning
Strategies
Challenges
Pitfalls
Planning
Planning involves (1) what to assess (2) why
assess (3) how to use the assessment
information (4)who will use the assessment
information (5) the assessment task or
activities that give students opportunities to
show what they learned in an authentic way.
Strategies
Assessment strategies in Science include
observation, self-assessment, group or peer
assessment, interviews, performance
assessment, student demonstration, entries
in science journals, the use of rubrics or
checklists, paper-and-pencil tasks or tests,
visual displays, laboratory reports, poster
presentation, research report and authentic
assessment.
Challenges
Some forms of assessment are not feasible
due to limited resources and time.
Pitfalls
Pitfalls in authentic assessment include:
• Failing to differentiate why you are
assessing
• Failing to use assessment to inform your
instruction
• Using assessments that only emphasize
lower order thinking skills
Challenges
Some forms of assessment are not feasible
due to limited resources and time.
Effective characteristics of assessment are as
follows:
1. Congruent and integrated with instruction
2. Based on authentic tasks and meaningful
real-life contexts and science learning
processes
3. Multidimensional, using many tools and
methods
4. Based on what the students know,
understand, and are interested in
5. Involves collaboration of students
6. Focuses on what students learned and can
do
7. Is continually going on (formative)
HOW YOU WILL ASSESS WILL
DEPEND ON WHAT YOU WILL
ASSESS
Assessing the Science process
skills
There are 12 science process skills namely:
Observing Formulating hypothesis
Classifying Defining Operationally
Communicating
Interpreting Data
Measuring
Experimenting
Predicting
Constructing Models
Inferring
Identifying and Controlling Variable
Observing
• How do we know how well a student can
observe?
• Be able to identify objects using more
than just one sense anduse the
appropriate senses
• Describe the properties of the object
accurately, provide both qualitative and
quantitative observations and describe
differences among objects that are similar
Classifying
• Figure out what are the major properties
that can be used to sort objects
• Identify properties that are common to all
the objects
Communicating
• How well can a student communicate
• Be able to describe an object accurately
• Be able to provide a very clear
descriptions so that others can identify
unknown objects or events
• Convey information both in verbal and
written forms
Measuring
• A student can measure well if they can
select an appropriate type of
measurement needed (how to measure a
door, road, book)
• Does not forget to indicate the
appropriate unit of measurements
• Is able to use measuring instruments and
units appropriately
Predicting
• How well does a student predict?
• Be able to form and extend patterns of
similar events
• Make simple but rational predictions
Inferring
• How well does a student infer?
• Be able to use all information making
their inferences
• Avoid inventing information
• Give sound reasoning in appropriate
situations
Identifying and Controlling
Variables
• How well can a student identify and
control variable?
• Be able to identify factors that could
affect the outcome of an investigative
project
• Identify which variable can they
manipulate and cannot manipulate
Formulating Hypothesis
• Be able to formulate a hypothesis from a
given question or problem, create a
hypothesis from a given question or
problem
• Create a hypothesis from his/her own
question or problem
• Explain the reason behind the creation of
such hypothesis
Defining Operationally
• How do you know a student can define
operationally?
• Be able to recognize the need to make an
operational definition
• Show the logical connection between the
variable to be measured and its
operational definition
Interpreting Data
• Be able to identify what data needs to be
collected
• Identify how to measure this data, collect
significant data
• Make valid data interpretations
Experimenting
• What can a student skilled in
experimenting do?
• Can follow directions for an experiment
• Develop alternative ways of investigating
a question or a problem
• Perform trial and error investigation
• Form valid conclusions based on data
Constructing Models
• Can differentiate between a mode and
the real thing
• Develop an appropriate model with
correct labels and interpretations