didactics of chemistry i d.-s. di fuccia prof. dr. b. ralle impresse berlin april 3rd, 2007 lab...
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IMPRESSE BerlinApril 3rd, 2007
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
Lab Experiments as a Toolof an Everyday Assessment
Developments – experiences - results
David-S. Di Fuccia
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Agenda
1. Reasons for using practical activities for assessment purposes
2. Research questions3. Course of research4. Instruments used for assessment by
practical activities5. Selected results6. Summary
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Meaning of the term ‘assessment‘
Assessment in this context does not necessarily mean the giving of marks but first of all the identification of the extend in which a pupil has achieved a competence. Reason for this identification can be diagnosis or scoring.
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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New assessment tools are neededVariability of teaching-methods has increased, testing is the same as beforePISA 20001
New assessment instruments have to focus on diagnosis
Output-orientation and standards for lower secondary education Schools have to enhance their pupils in the
following fields of competence2: Chemical knowledge Scientific method Communication Balancing reasons
1 Deutsches PISA-Konsortium (2000). PISA 2000. Opladen: Leske+Budrich.2 KMK (2004). Bildungsstandards im Fach Chemie für den Mittleren
Schulabschluss. München: Wolters Kluwer.
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Experiences with practical activities
Strong connection to chemical thinkingCritical view at the outcomes of practical activities TIMSS: even simple experimental arrangements
are only understood by 10-15% of the 13 year old pupils 4.
Analysis of cause and effect is done unsystematically5.
Pupils often consider the manual work on an experiment to be the most important phase of an experiment6.
4 Hammann (2004). Kompetenzentwicklungsmodelle. MNU 57/4, 196-203.5 Lunetta (1998). The School Science Laboratory. In Fraser and Tobin:
International Handbook of Science Education. Dordrecht (NL): Kluwer Academic Publishers, 249-262.
6 Demuth (1981). Schülerexperimente im Chemieunterricht (I). NiU P/C 29, 256-259.
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Special chances of practical activities
It seems to be consequent, to use pupil‘s lab work also as an assessment tool because... they offer possibilities for learning in many
important fields of competence. they are of high practical and theoretical
importance in chemistry courses talking about the criteria for a good way of
experimenting could lead to positive side-effects.
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Research questions
1. How can practical activities be used as an assessment instrument which considers broader fields of competence?
2. Are there any further effects using practical activities for assessment purposes?
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Course of research1. Preliminary study
Pro and contra the use of practical activities for assessment purposes
2. Pre-Study: Questionnaires for pupils and teachersa. Rating statements about attitudes towards experimentsb. Open answers about reasons for and against a use of
practical activities for assessment3. Phase of participatory action research
Development of instruments for assessmentby practical activities
4. Post-Study: Questionnaires for pupils and teachers Possibility to measure differences between pre- and post-
test
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Classes involved1. 7th grade, grammar school, North Rhine-Westphalia2. 9th grade, secondary modern school,
North Rhine-Westphalia3. 9th grade, grammar school, Bavaria4. 9th grade, grammar school, Bavaria5. 10th grade, secondary modern school,
North Rhine-Westphalia6. 10th grade, grammar school, North Rhine-Westphalia7. 10th grade, grammar school, Bavaria8. 12th grade, grammar school, Bavaria
IMPRESSE BerlinApril 3rd, 2007
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
How can practical activities be used as an assessment instrument?
Examples of Instruments used for assessment by practical activities
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Examples of instrumentsIntrospection-form „message to myself“2
2 Bohl (2001). Prüfen und Bewerten im Offenen Unterricht. Neuwied, Kriftel: Luchterhand.
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Examples of instruments
Introspection-form „message to myself“2
Criterion of introspection given by the teacher and discussed with the pupils…… focusing on the performance of the experiment
Detailed answers of pupils High affinity to reporting the success of an
experiment
… focusing on social competence Nearly completely answered by the pupils Only superficially answered if the criterion focuses
on the hole group Detailed answers if the criterion only focuses on the
individual2 Bohl (2001). Prüfen und Bewerten im Offenen Unterricht.
Neuwied, Kriftel: Luchterhand.
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Examples of instruments
Experimental instructions with a complete list of chemicals and equipment but with gaps in the description of the performance of the experiment Difficulty depends on
Number of the gaps Position of the gaps Introduction of the experiment
One can see if a pupil has understood why the experiment is done
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Examples of instruments
Pupils develop an own experimental instruction Develop an experimental design with which the
pH-value of different soil-samples can be detected!
One step further: develop an experimental series: Which different soil-types do you know and which of them would be worth testing? And why?
These tests are homework to the next lesson.
Clear enhancement of attention and interest
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Examples of instruments
Teachers ask the pupils which criteria to observe when experimenting Criteria for “good” presentations clearer than for a
“good” way of experimenting
Observation-forms developed based on these criteria A pupil with mostly negative ratings in this
observation-form, has in 100% of the cases a last chemistry-mark of 4 or worse. But the reverse is false.
Pupils and teachers take the observation-forms as basis for a dialogue about possibilities for improvement
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Results of an interviewwith participating teachers
The way of creating assessment tools out of existing material has proved its value flexible low additional effort teachers voluntarily developed and optimized the
material on their own
Teachers are not sure as far as the concrete assessment-criteria are concerned especially in inter-subject and social competence because of this there is nearly no feedback to the
pupils about the assessment results
IMPRESSE BerlinApril 3rd, 2007
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
Selected results
Reasons for and against an assessment by lab work
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Help for estimation„I‘d like to be assessed by practical activities because I’m interested in what my teacher thinks of me and as a help for self-estimation.”PRE: 23.3% of all named reasonsAssessed practical activities are suited for diagnosis„The teacher can see if one has understood the theory the experiment is based on.” PRE: 18.3% of all named reasonsRecognition of the pupil’s efforts„I’d like to be assessed for the experimental setup, so that my hard work is honoured.”PRE: 15.0% of all named reasonsFelt simplicity of lab work„It’s easy to get good marks.” PRE: 14.2% of all named reasons
Pupils’ reasons for an assessment by lab work
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Help for estimation„I‘d like to be assessed by practical activities because I’m interested in what my teacher thinks of me and as a help for self-estimation.”PRE: 23.3% of all named reasons NEW: 8.9%Assessed practical activities are suited for diagnosis„The teacher can see if one has understood the theory the experiment is based on.” PRE: 18.3% of all named reasons NEW: 19.6%Recognition of the pupil’s efforts„I’d like to be assessed for the experimental setup, so that my hard work is honoured.”PRE: 15.0% of all named reasons NEW: 12.5%Felt simplicity of lab work„It’s easy to get good marks.” PRE: 14.2% of all named reasons NEW: 23.2%
Pupils’ reasons for an assessment by lab work
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Pupils’ reasons against an assessment by lab work
Assessment leads to a pressure to do well„You feel a higher pressure to do well.” PRE: 32.7% of all named reasonsOnly assessing results is not appropriate „Results can be faked by copying.“PRE: 22.4% of all named reasonsA fair assessment by lab work is impossible„Practical activities cannot be assessed in a fair way, because there are too many pupils in the class, so that the teacher cannot assess every group.“PRE: 16.3% of all named reasonsExperimenting is fun„If experimenting is assessed, it isn’t fun any longer.“PRE: 8.2% of all named reasons
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Pupils’ reasons against an assessment by lab work
Assessment leads to a pressure to do well„You feel a higher pressure to do well.” PRE: 32.7% of all named reasons NEW: 39.5%Only assessing results is not appropriate „Results can be faked by copying.“PRE: 22.4% of all named reasons NEW: 7.9%A fair assessment by lab work is impossible„Practical activities cannot be assessed in a fair way, because there are too many pupils in the class, so that the teacher cannot assess every group.“PRE: 16.3% of all named reasons NEW: 28.9%Experimenting is fun„If experimenting is assessed, it isn’t fun any longer.“PRE: 8.2% of all named reasons NEW: 13.2%
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SummaryPractical activities can be used as an assessment instrument in lower and higher chemistry educationThey provide information about broader fields of competenceThus they help the teachers to diagnose what the pupils understood and where they still have problemsThe instruments can be provided with low additional effortThe feedback to the pupils does not seem to work properly
IMPRESSE BerlinApril 3rd, 2007
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
?Questions
!Proposals
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Selected results – questionnaire study
130 pupils and 5 teachers involvedHigh standard deviation (up to 0.9)Overall high correspondence between teachers and pupils
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Selected results – questionnaire studyEstimation of the pupils by… (1=low, 4=high)
Pupils(average value)
Teachers (average value)
Pre-StudyPost-Study
Pre-StudyPost-Study
Experiments are helpful for the understanding
3.34 3.40
Experiments are leisure time
2.43 2.20
Experiments are an obvious way of solving problems
2.25 3.80
(*) slightly significant (p<0.1) * significant (p<0.05)
** highly significant (p<0.01) *** significant on highest level (p<0.001)
Didactics of Chemistry I D.-S. Di Fuccia Prof. Dr. B. Ralle
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Selected results – questionnaire studyEstimation of the pupils by… (1=low, 4=high)
Pupils(average value)
Teachers (average value)
Pre-StudyPost-Study
Pre-StudyPost-Study
Experiments are helpful for the understanding
3.34 3.15(*) 3.40 2.80(*)
Experiments are leisure time
2.43 2.91*** 2.20 2.70
Experiments are an obvious way of solving problems
2.25 2.30 3.80 3.00*
(*) slightly significant (p<0.1) * significant (p<0.05)
** highly significant (p<0.01) *** significant on highest level (p<0.001)