Assessing Science Process Skills
Assessing Science Process Skills
PROCESS SKILLS
Classroom Assessment in
Science
Planning
Strategies
Challenges
Pitfalls
Planning
Planning involves (1) what to assess (2) why
assess (3) how to use the assessment
information (4)who will use the assessment
information (5) the assessment task or
activities that give students opportunities to
show what they learned in an authentic
way.
Strategies
Assessment strategies in Science include
observation, self-assessment, group or peer
assessment, interviews, performance
assessment, student demonstration, entries
in science journals, the use of rubrics or
checklists, paper-and-pencil tasks or tests,
visual displays, laboratory reports, poster
presentation, research report and authentic
assessment.
Challenges
Some forms of assessment are not feasible
due to limited resources and time.
Pitfalls
Pitfalls in authentic assessment include:
• Failing to differentiate why you are
assessing
• Failing to use assessment to inform your
instruction
• Using assessments that only emphasize
lower order thinking skills
Challenges
Some forms of assessment are not feasible
due to limited resources and time.
Effective characteristics of assessment are as
follows:
1. Congruent and integrated with instruction
2. Based on authentic tasks and meaningful
real-life contexts and science learning
processes
3. Multidimensional, using many tools and
methods
4. Based on what the students know,
understand, and are interested in
5. Involves collaboration of students
6. Focuses on what students learned and can
do
7. Is continually going on (formative)
HOW YOU WILL ASSESS WILL
DEPEND ON WHAT YOU WILL
ASSESS
Assessing the Science process
skills
There are 12 science process skills namely: