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

Previous Contents Next

Future Directions
Despite the emphasis on tests and recall of science knowledge, teachers did adopt a range of student works for both formative and summative assessment purposes. Though these forms of student works were less frequently employed, they can become the possible alternative forms of assessment in line with the proposal for the education reform. Hence, a review of the alternative forms of student works currently employed provides a picture of the possible future directions of development.

Though the primary teachers reflected that they seldom conduct experimental work, they have employed other forms of student works like projects, self-evaluations on levels of interest in science and daily habits as the secondary teachers' practices. The secondary two teachers provided the largest variety of students' work including ETV worksheets, newspaper cutting, discussions, short experiments and model making. Unlike teaching the secondary four level, the teachers at the secondary two level found their teaching free from the restrictions of the public examination. They were aware of arousing students' interest in science, providing opportunities to relate their learning with their daily experience and training them to become independent learners as they related,

"For example, the Form 2 students would make a model to show different uses of electricity; some of them would make a musical instrument after learning the sound wave concept. We hope that they could apply what they had learnt and be more creative. In short, there was less restriction." (S1T1I1)

"Tasks are related to their daily experiences, for example, I am teaching them conduction and convection. I use cotton quilt and down as examples. I try to use examples that they are familiar with. This is the approach for junior form students." (S2T1I1)

"Students need to define experiments and write a lab report right away. Those require them to think. They in fact prefer this way to conducting experiments according to textbooks. They are Form 2 students. They should think more independently than Form 1 students." (S3T1I1)

The teachers at the primary level supported the view that a larger variety of student works should be implemented to reflect student achievement. One of the teachers suggested that the purpose of science assessment should include a number of perspectives, like experimental skills, attitudes and interest in learning science.

"Assessment should not be confined only to pencil and paper tests or exams. It is good if we can observe their performance in doing experiments within the class. I will find out their level of participation and interest and communication with other members." (P2T1I1)

Apart from the call for science assessment covering more diverse perspectives, the voice for de-emphasis of examinations is strong among the teachers. One of the primary teachers was aware of the fact that tests and examinations may not provide accurate portraits of student achievement as she explained her preference for formative assessment,

"Tests are very important and I think the results in tests or exams are able to reflect students' abilities. The only problem is that some smart students do not have revisions. Thus, I try to pay more attention to their class performance instead of focusing on tests and exams. Class performance reflects their standard in a more appropriate way. I am not denying the importance of tests and exams, but they are a game of figures sometimes." (P1T3I1)

Moreover, teachers would like to see balanced and diversified assessment tasks that reflects the creativity as well as other abilities e.g. language,

"Diversified. On the one hand, their basic knowledge and skill could be measured; on the other hand, their creativity and potential could be developed through their own design. But the practice should be balanced so that they would not good at one aspect but weak at the other. Adjustment according to the needs of students is important but not at the expense of their basic written and language skill." (S4T1I1 & T2)

Teachers called for an emphasis on project work, developing students' thinking and independent learning ability as well as an increase in the weighting for project work. Among different forms of student works, project work is highly regarded by the primary teachers, and they found that it helps pupils to develop their self-learning and thinking ability,

"I think the project reflects the learning of students in a clearer way. They are working as a group and they have to organize all the things by themselves. I am sure they will learn something during the process of data collection. This enhances and fosters the self-learning ability among students. Project promotes active learning attitudes of students and it benefits their self-learning. (How about the thinking ability?) Absolutely it will help them to develop their thinking. It requires lots of thinking in doing the project such as the selection of relevant content, where to get the information and they have to embellish the report in a presentable way." (P2T3I1)

The primary teachers also suggested how they could distinguish pupils' achievements through project work,

"Last year I assigned the topic - solar system as their project theme. So I compared their content and presentations on the same topic to decide which the best was. The drawings and the writings were also counted. Content was still considered to be the most important. Some lazy students just copied from the book without providing extra information while some students gathered much information from websites and library reference. I would also add some marks if supplement with extra information." (P2T2I1)

These teachers also reflected that pupils were well involved as they worked on the projects and called for a heavier weighting in the overall assessment. This was related by both primary and secondary two teachers,

"I am glad we still have a data collection project. It accounts for 10% for the school result. Referring to students' performance in tests and exams, in addition, we also need to refer to their performance in their work. In my own experience, smart students prefer to do something like projects. They are willing to express themselves and show me their abilities. They get involved in doing the data collection project. I have collected and checked their introductory part. I am impressed by their intelligence in presenting their ideas. It is a continuous assessment rather than the discrete assessments. Thus, I think a combination of these two is fair... (Is the project a group work?) No, it is an individual work. That's why it lasts about half a year. The workload is quite heavy. In fact, I know that there are some advantages if we ask them to work in several groups. I only know that 10 marks for the project is under-weighed." (P1T3I1)

"Their school performance is rated by combining four marks - mid-term exam 30%, the general scores in the first term 10%, the second term exam 50%, and the general scores in the second term 10%. The general score is collected from a continuous assessment throughout an academic year including tests, workbooks, newspaper cutting and projects; in other words, all assignments ... like continuous assessment. It is better to adjust the proportion of general scores by reducing the percentage of exam results. I don't think exams could properly assess student performance. Some students might have poor performance in ordinary school days but only outperform during exams." (S3T1I1)

Consistent with the call for diverse forms and perspectives in assessment, teachers at the primary level also preferred to have more contact with pupils such that they can practise continuous and formative assessment,

"Besides, insufficient time with students is another reason. The cases of some other teachers are different from mine. I teach more than one subject and thus have more lessons with the same class. So my judgement on their performance is more accurate. If a teacher just teaches them one subject, say General Studies, he/she could only meet them four or five lessons per week. It is therefore difficult to give the most accurate general score on their daily performance." (P2T2I1)

The above reveals some infrequent examples of students work as well as teachers' call for a change in the future. The possible directions for development can be summarized as:

A variety of student works or assessment tasks should be included.

More diverse perspectives should be developed among students and assessment area should include self-learning and thinking ability.

Test and examinations should be de-emphasized.

Project works should be emphasized and they should have a higher weighting in the overall assessment.

There should be continuous and formative assessment where the teacher has a close relationship with students.