EFFECTS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBES INTEGRATED IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR HANDS-ON SCIENCE: MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING

TitleEFFECTS OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBES INTEGRATED IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR HANDS-ON SCIENCE: MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsBulunuz, N, Bulunuz, M, Peker, H
JournalJournal of Baltic Science Education
Volume13
Issue2
Start Page243-258
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedApril/2014
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1648-3898
Other NumbersICID: 1101951
Keywordsformative assessment, hands-on science instruction, real-world context, science concepts
Abstract

This study had three main purposes, to (a) determine students’ understanding of basic physics concepts, (b) analyze the science concepts and their connection to real-life context in science curricula and teaching materials, (c) evaluate effect of formative assessment probes on students’ understanding of selected key concepts. Subjects were 197, 8th grade students who had studied five basic physics concepts. To evaluate students’ understanding, a questionnaire consisting of formative assessment probes was administered with 4 multiple choice and 4 open-ended questions. Findings indicated that students had poor conceptual understanding of the concepts. Science curriculum, analyzed in terms of application to real-world contexts, indicated that textbooks included few practical explanations. In an intervention, one public school received formative assessment probes integrated with extra-curricular hands-on science instruction. Pre-post data showed significant increases in students’ understanding of basic physics concepts. Finding that these students significantly out-performed other groups implies: (a) the need to include students’ prior learning in instruction

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2015/987-1437063296.pdf
DOI10.33225/jbse/14.13.243
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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