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The impact of NCEA assessment on teaching,
learning and motivation to learn science
investigation in Year 11
Azra MoeedFaculty of Education
Victoria University of Wellington
Learning School Science
• Conceptual understanding
• Procedural understanding
• Understanding the nature of science
Two systemic changes
• Science in the New Zealand Curriculum
• New assessment regime[National Certificate in Educational Achievement NCEA]
Internal assessment of science investigation
• It is expected that the students will develop any specific
investigative skills they need when they are carrying out a
complete investigation.
• The processes of investigation are not sequential. The
process may begin at any point... and will tend to move
backwards and forwards. Students should be reflecting on
their decisions, actions, and findings and modifying their
plans and actions as they are proceeding. (Science in the
New Zealand Curriculum, 1993, p. 47)
The curriculum requirement…The ability to carry out a complete investigation is the
key expected outcome.
Assessment requirement
“Carry out a practical science investigation, with
direction, by planning the investigation, collecting and
processing the data, and interpreting and reporting the
findings”.
NCEA science AS1.1
International evidence that assessment of performance
is problematic in mass education [Millar, 2004; Donnelly (2000),
Gott and Duggan (2002), Roberts and Gott (2003)]
Participants and Data collection
• Population of year 11 science teachers in greater
Wellington
• Interviews of all Year 11 science teachers in a typical
state, medium size, coeducational school in
Wellington
• Classroom observations of one year 11 science class
in the same school for an academic year. Teacher
reflection of each observed lesson, focus group
interviews, observation of the assessment for AS1.1
Change in practice
• Sixty-six respondents (65%) had taught year 11
science before the introduction of the National
Certificate of Educational Achievement.
• Fifty-five (83%) of the teachers who had taught
before the introduction of the National Certificate of
Educational Achievement reported a change in their
practice of teaching science investigation.
Reasons for doing the same number of
investigations
Learning
Assessment
Less time
Future use
Student motivation
Reasons for doing more
investigations
Learning
Assessment
Less time
Future use
Student motivation
Reasons for doing the same number of
investigations
Learning
Assessment
Less time
Future use
Student motivation
Reasons for doing fewer investigations
Learning
Assessment
Less time
Future
Student motivation
Emergent themes
1 Science Investigation as a Linear Process
2 Investigation in Practice: Fair Testing
3 Training to Investigate
4 Changes in Teaching Practice after the Introduction of NCEA
5 A Pragmatic Approach to Investigation
6 Reliability and Validity Issues with Assessment of Investigation
7 Teacher Unease about Their Own Practice
8 A Focus on Knowledge Outcomes
9 Encouraging a Surface Approach to Learning
10 Philosophical tensions between beliefs, curriculum, and
assessment
The assessed investigation:
Watch that Car Go!• „Watch that car go‟ was a moderated task available
on the Ministry of Education website
• Background Information:
Watching children play with their toy cars, students
noticed that the cars seemed to travel at different
speeds depending on the slope they were released
on.
The assessed task:
In this investigation you are to plan, collect, process
and interpret information, and present a report to find
out how the slope of a ramp affects the distance the
car goes along the flat (table or floor). This
investigation is a “fair test” investigation.
Ed‟s arguement
“Miss you know when you go down a
steep road the car goes faster. You can
even turn off the engine”.
“Naa!
Why would I want to investigate that?”
So what?
• Two further changes
• The New Zealand Curriculum (2007)
• Science AS1.1 removed
• But...Schools can choose to offer Biology 1.1
or Physics 1.1 or Chemistry 1.1
• Only follow up will tell where we are heading.
Concern
• Only three external achievement
standards can be offered
• Schools are likely to offer more
internals. Will they offer assessment of
investigation?
References
• Millar, R. (2004). The role of practical work in the teaching and
learning of science. Paper presented for the meeting of high
school science laboratories: Role and Vision. Washington, DC:
National Academy of Sciences.
• Moeed, A. & Hall, C. (2011). Teaching, learning and
assessment of science investigation in year 11: Teachers‟
response to NCEA. New Zealand Science Review, 68(3), 95-
102.
• Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2003). Assessment of biology
investigations. Journal of Biological Education, 37(3), 114-121.
• Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2006). Assessment of performance in
practical science and pupil attributes. Assessment in Education:
Principle, Policy & Practice, 13(1), 45-67.