The Assessment of Science Learning in Schools in Hong Kong: the status quo and future directions

Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 1, Issue 2, Article 2 (Dec., 2000)
CHENG May Hung, May; SO Wing Mui, Winnie; CHEUNG Wing Ming, Francis
The Assessment of Science Learning in Schools in Hong Kong: the status quo and future directions

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The Status Quo
From the findings, it is apparent that the most common forms of student work among the primary and the two secondary levels are homework after the lessons while pencil and paper tests are most frequently used as a means to reflect students' achievement. The teachers also suggested that these tasks were also mainly concerned with the assessment of science knowledge through recalling. According to the teachers tests and examinations are essential and are the formal forms of assessment that will improve students' performance or make them study hard, such as,

"...In fact, I also give them quizzes that are small in scale. I ask them one question and they have to put the answer on a sheet of paper. No preparation is allowed because all comes in a sudden. Before starting the lesson, I give them a quiz, but they have ten minutes for revision. Having some time for revision, their performance is much better." (S2T2I1)^[3]

"(Exams) One is held in the first term while there is another in the second term. Tests are held in between. The marks would be an indicator for class promotion which they are all concerned about and they have studied hard for that." (S2T3I1)

Apart from homework and tests, other forms of students' work are not common at the secondary four level biology. The predominant concern among these teachers was to equip the students for the public examination,

"I would consider whether the assignment could help them in the HKCEE, questions were those that would possibly appear in the HKCEE and that should be manageable for them." (S1T1I1)

Moreover, these teachers were also concerned about providing feedback on students' work that prepare them to provide answers that fulfil the requirements of the public examination though a very different approach is used at the lower secondary levels,

"My comments for higher form students are referring to their answering skills. It is inevitable for me to put the focus on it. That is reality! In lower forms, I refer them to different source of information despite the textbook or magazine. They may get information via Internet, Environmental Protection Department and Green Power or else. I don't want to narrow down their thinking ability." (S2T1I1)

From these quotations, the public examination has a very strong influence over the teaching, learning and assessment of biology at the secondary four level. Homework and tests are the most commonly students' work employed by teachers of the three levels and there is an emphasis on the assessment of science knowledge by recall. It is apparent that the pressure created by summative assessment exists in all the levels but this accumulates to become the sole purpose of learning at the secondary four level.

Footnote [3]: The transcriptions were coded as S2 stands for school 2, T1 stands for teacher 1 and I1 stands for interview 1.