1. INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, citizen science literacy has
become a growing concern, with policy documents in many countries, including the
United States and Canada, emphasizing the importance of citizen science
literacy (Yacoubian, 2018). Meanwhile,
"Cultivating citizens with science literacy" has become the ideal
goal of science education worldwide, and has
important guiding significance for science education (Zhang & Campbell,
2012). It shows that the science achievement gap is already
significant in early childhood, especially in third grade. (Morgan et al.,
2016). The earlier children are exposed to science, the more positively correlated
it is with higher academic achievements. In view of this, attention
should be paid to science education from an early age, especially at the
primary level (Tavares et al., 2021). In particular, assessment
on academic performance of students has been considered one of the most
important activities for teachers to improve the students’ learning
effectiveness (Cizek, 2010). Through assessment, teachers can
obtain information about students' knowledge and skill level, so as to develop
more effective teaching strategies. At the same time, teaching methods can be
adjusted according to the individual needs of students to build a suitable
learning atmosphere (Cizek, 2010). Studies have shown that the combination of
self-assessment, peer assessment and teacher assessment can help improve EFL
learners' writing ability (Birjandi
& Tamjid, 2012). Another study pointed out that
the results of academic performance assessment can provide concrete feedback
for teachers to improve their teaching (Mohiuddin et al., 2019). Therefore, it
is very important to probe into the practice and problems encountered by
primary school teachers in assessing students' achievement in science learning.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
2.1 Contents of assessment
on science academic performance
The core of
scientific evaluation includes an insight into the nature of science, an
understanding of scientific methods, and an examination of scientific
attitudes.
In exploring the concept of NOS, various models and
frameworks have been developed to measure students' insights on NOS (Mohan
& Kelly, 2020). Mccomas and Olson (1998)
identified 13 core concepts of NOS in eight international science education
literature. Further, 23 authorities agreed on nine key themes, including the
nature of scientific knowledge, the process of inquiry, and the behavior of
scientists as a social group (Osborne et al., 2010). These common
characteristics are also reflected in the Next Generation of Science Standards
(NGSS Lead States, 2013). NOS is broad, and Orchin
assesses students' perceptions of the nature of science by analyzing current
events and historical cases (Allchin, 2011).
The ability of students to accurately apply the
scientific method in scientific enquiry is also assessed. Teachers are expected
to assess students appropriately in the course of their scientific enquiry. The
investigation reveals that teachers' guidance in exploratory science education
plays a key role in improving pupils' academic achievement (Heppt
et al., 2022). As an educational strategy, the scientific method encompasses an
orderly sequence of observations, questioning, experimentation, inference, and
communication (Purwanto et al., 2021). This coherent process has evolved and is
now seen as a core element that inspires innovative learning (Zulfakar, 2020). Teachers' ability to integrate the
scientific method in curriculum design is reflected in planning teaching
activities that coincide with the scientific steps, and their skill in applying
the scientific method is reflected in how to guide students' practical
activities in accordance with these steps (Jahidin et
al., 2023).
More recently, with more students showing waning interest
in careers in science, more attention has been paid to the effect of attitudes.
(Guzey et al., 2015). Different researchers have
different dimensions for assessing attitudes towards science. The "My View
of Science "(MATS) scale covers four areas: emotional predispositions to
scientific topics, intentions to become a scientist, the social value of science,
and perceptions of scientists (Hillman et al., 2016). On the other hand, the
BRAINS (Behavior, Relational Attitudes, and Scientific Intentions)
questionnaire deals with attitudes toward science, beliefs about scientific
behavior, intentions to engage in science, and normative and controlling
beliefs (Summers & Abd-El-Khalick,
2018). In addition, Wang and Berlin(2010) designed a tool to assess fourth -
and fifth-grade students' attitudes to science for use in Asian school
Settings, focusing on the enjoyment of science, self-confidence, and the
significance of science in the classroom experience. Another study designed an
assessment tool for 8 - to 11-year-olds in Northern Ireland that consisted of
three elements: a fondness for science, an understanding of its importance, and
a perception of their own scientific competence (Murphy and Beggs, 2003).
In 2022, China's Ministry of Education introduced the
Compulsory Education Curriculum Standards (2022 Edition), which divides the
evaluation system of scientific learning achievement into four areas:
scientific concept, scientific thinking, inquiry practice, and attitude and
responsibility. Scientific concepts involve understanding objective things
based on scientific principles and refining the understanding of these
principles (Ministry of Education, 2022). Inquiry practices refer to the
capability to engage in scientific inquiry, technological and engineering
practices, and independent learning. Scientific thinking emphasizes students'
ability to apply scientific methods and systematically think about problems;
attitude and responsibilities refer to the gradual development of a scientific
mindset and social responsibility, considering the nature of science and its
role in technology, communities and the ecological environment.
2.2 Methods of assessment on science academic performance
According to
the subjects involved in academic assessment, the methods of assessing science
learning achievement in primary schools can be summarized as teacher
assessment, peer review and self-assessment.
Teacher assessment is the most prevalent method of
assessing students' achievement of intended learning outcomes, employing a
range of assessment methods and tools (Gronlund, 2006). The methods of teacher
assessment include paper-based tests, classroom quizzes, assignments, portfolio
assessment and so on. The power of teacher assessment lies in its ability to
support and enhance student learning and motivation (Alkharusi
et al., 2014), However, relying on these means alone may not fully understand
the inner mind of students (C Chang et al., 2012). Nitko
(1996) pointed out that teachers should use diversified evaluation strategies
to obtain reliable evidence of student learning, and evaluation should be
aligned with teaching objectives and give valuable feedback to students.
Barbera (2009) proposed a concept based on student collaboration, netfolio, to construct a continuous joint review mechanism,
in which teachers participate in the process of mutual review, but do not
directly intervene in decision-making.
As highlighted by the National Research Council's
Committee on the Conceptual Framework for New Standards in K-12 Science
Education, self-assessment is decisive for science literacy and has been
integrated into the next generation of science standards (NGSS Lead States,
2013). The methods for student self-assessment include self-assessment of
homework, self-assessment of classroom performance, journal writing and so on (Birjandi & Tamjid, 2012).
Besides, Tan (2008) summarizes students' self-assessment into five conceptions
as follows: students evaluate their own behavior through self-evaluation
activities; They measure their knowledge in practice; They set and assess
personal standards in their course of study; They make independent judgments
about their mastery of the curriculum; Moreover, students went beyond classroom
learning in evaluating their self-assessment abilities.
Peer assessment is considered as a strategy for giving
effective feedback to learners (van Zundert et al., 2010). This involves
students evaluating each other's grades, learning outcomes, or performance
(Sari et al., 2016). There is evidence that peer assessment improves academic
achievement compared to no assessment and teacher assessment alone (Double et al.,
2020). Further research comparing the effects of giving and receiving
assessments on writing performance shows that the process of evaluating others
leads to more improvement than being evaluated (Lundstrom & Baker, 2009).
Peer assessment promotes the development of students' lifelong ability to
assess and provide feedback to others, as well as enhancing their skills in
self-assessing and improving their own work (Lundstrom & Baker,
2009). Combining different assessment methods in assessment would be beneficial.
Research has shown that students who choose formative assessments achieve
better academic performance than those who choose final assessments (Oliva et
al., 2011). Research by Sari et al. (2016) reveals the dual role of
self-assessment and peer assessment in education, not only as a means of
evaluation, but also through feedback communication to help students hone their
professionalism, decision-making skills, and independence. Chang and Tseng
(2011), in their exploration of Web portfolio evaluation, integrate three
evaluation methods to reflect the essence of authentic evaluation. Similarly, Netfoliot integrates teacher, peer, and self-assessment to
shape a framework for progress together (Barbera, 2009). It is worth noting
that teachers' evaluation practices and students' understanding of evaluation
are intertwined and have an impact on students' beliefs about academic
self-efficacy, a view that brings unique insights into current classroom
evaluation discussions (Alkharusi et al., 2014).
2.3 Research questions
The science
curriculum in China began in 1903, with students primarily learning basic life
knowledge (Li, 2003). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the “Primary School
Science Curriculum Guidelines for Full-Time Ten-Year Compulsory Education
Schools” were introduced, shifting the science curriculum towards emphasizing
experimental exploration without corresponding assessment (Pan, 2021). It was
not until 2017 that the Primary School Science Curriculum Standards (2017
edition) were promulgated by the Ministry of Education, which elevated science
to one of the four core courses in primary school (Liu, 2017). Since then,
teachers have become increasingly aware of the need to evaluate science
education. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 23 primary school
science teachers in order to explore the current status and difficulties in
assessing science learning achievement in primary school. The core issues of
this study are as follows:
Inquiry Focus 1: What are the views of primary school
science educators on assessing the achievement of primary school students in
science learning?
Focus 2: What is the current picture of the
assessment of science academic achievement of primary school students?
Focus 3: What are the main difficulties faced in the
assessment of primary school students' science learning effectiveness?
3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Participants
In this study,
we interviewed 23 primary school teachers from 17 schools in an East
metropolitan area of 10 million people in China. 14 of the teachers teach in
urban areas now, and 9 of them teach in rural areas. Participants ranged in age
from 24 to 51 years, with a mean age of 33.17 years and a standard deviation of
5.34 years. The length of their teaching career ranges from two to thirty-two
years (mean 9.91, SD 6.36). The demographic information for the interviewees
was provided in Appendix (Table S1).
3.2 Data collection
Members of a
research team, including the principal researcher and two research assistants,
conducted interview individually between February and March 2023. These
assistants were education master students who received a 3-hour training
conducted by the principal researcher on interviewing techniques (e.g.,
understanding the extent to which questions are likely to trigger teachers to
give socially acceptable answers) and an introduction to semi-structured
interview guidelines (Gudkova, 2018). All subjects were explicitly
informed of the voluntary nature of the study and that they could choose not to
participate or withdraw at any time. A semi-structured interview with five
questions was designed. The first question was about the teacher's attitude
toward assessment on science academic performance, including their belief,
willingness, and feelings. The second question involved the index and wight of
assessment on science academic performance. The third question asked teachers
to describe the subjects and methods they normally use to conduct assessment on
science academic performance. The fourth question was whether they experienced
any challenges during assessment on science academic performance. The interview
process was conducted in Chinese and the average duration was 40 minutes.
3.3 Date analysis
In this study,
data were coded using the software package Nvivo 14
to identify themes and categories that built a grounded theory. Firstly, the
recorded data were transcribed verbatim. Secondly, the transcribed data are
studied in depth and repeatedly, aiming to fully understand the overall context
of the data. Third, a preliminary coding framework is selected, which responds
to the core issues of the study in the form of concise statements or narrative
paragraphs. In the context of this study, we used 77 preliminary codes to start
the analytical journey of the data and explore potential patterns in the data
by comparing similarities and differences between events (Greene et al., 2007).
Fourth, we refine the unit of analysis and summarize it into 34 intermediate
codes. At this stage, raw data begins to be transformed into more abstract
concepts, gradually promoting the natural generation of theory from the data.(Chun Tie et al., 2019). Fifth, the codes were divided into
subcategories based on differences and similarities, this process was called
advanced coding. Finally, the theoretical codes constitute the culmination of
the refinement of the core theory, and the major categories are gradually
formed by merging those subcategories with similar meanings (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004;
Markkanen et al., 2019), as shown in Table S2
3.4 Credibility and consistency
Regarding
credibility, all participants had been teaching science in primary school for a
long time. Their age, teaching experience, gender, and types of school varied,
which increased the credibility of obtaining information on the topic from
various aspects. In order to ensure the rigor of the analysis, the whole
process is elaborated in detail. At the beginning of the analysis, the data is
coded and categorized, and then another researcher encodes the abstract units
of meaning, sub-categories, and major categories. Consensus was reached in all
sub-categories and major categories, although some disagreements arose at the
coding stage, but were discussed and resolved in depth. In this study,
theoretical sampling is seen as a key step to ensure theoretical saturation, so
as to ensure that the established grounded theory has sufficient theoretical integrity
(Charmaz & Thornberg, 2021).
4 FINDINGS
4.1 Teachers’ attitudes toward assessment on
science academic performance of primary school students
In general,
primary school science teachers hold positive attitudes toward assessment on
science academic performance of primary school students, but they present
different feelings when evaluating. When asked if it was necessary to conduct
the assessment on science academic performance, all 23 respondents believed
that academic assessment was necessary. For example, 22 respondents indicated
that they were willing to participate in seminars and trainings about academic
assessment. 20 teachers all suggested that the results of assessment could help
them adjust teaching strategies and improve their teaching skills. For
example, participant H said,
The assessment
results can help me understand the knowledge that students have not mastered
well. I will adjust my teaching strategies and teaching content in the
following class. For example, I will repeat students’ weak knowledge, so as to
help them strengthen their memory, until they absorb all the knowledge.
23
interviewees stated that they usually provided feedbacks on the results of
assessments to their students. The feedbacks involved grades and writing
comments on students' homework, verbal praise about students' exploration and
practice abilities in the classroom, and separate conversations with students.
13 teachers mentioned that the results of assessment not only provided students
with a clearer understanding of their studies, but also made them more
confident in learning. For example, participant I mentioned,
Students can
clearly know how well they have mastered what they have learned through
assessments. If they obtain good assessment results, their
interest in learning will also increase.
Nevertheless,
respondents showed clear differences in their feelings about the evaluation of
students' achievements in science. 7 teachers stated that assessing science
academic performances is a burden for them. One reason is that Chinese primary
teachers have heavy teaching tasks, and conducting assessment on science
academic performance would take up much their time and energy. For example,
participant P mentioned in the interview:
Assessment is
definitely burdensome. The more specific your assessment of students, the
greater the workload will be.
Although the
assessment process takes up too much of their time, most teachers still
indicate that assessment is still necessary. But they have low self-efficacy in
assessing students’ science academic performance. They worry that inappropriate
assessments will reduce students' motivation to learn science, which also
places a psychological burden on them. For example, participant C represented,
I have my own
assessment system, and when there is not much homework in school, I usually
assess students' scientific academic performance. If I fail to promptly assess
their performance, meaning if they perform well but are not rewarded, their
enthusiasm will be dampened.
On the
contrary, 11 teachers pointed out that assessment on science academic
performances did not burden them, because it is an important part of their
work. Participant T said in the interview:
As a teacher,
assessing students' performance is a commonly encountered situation, and you
may aspire to assess their abilities in a more scholarly manner. As many
children nowadays are apprehensive about making mistakes when they answer
questions, we advocate that teachers provide students with constructive
feedback and assessment to motivate them to show their abilities. This is not
only a right but also a responsibility of teachers, and it should not be
perceived as an additional burden. When assessing children, our aim is to
foster their growth and progress.
4.2 Methods of assessment on science academic
performance of primary school students
All the
interviewees used Paper-based tests as the main method of assessment in science
academic performance. The majority of the teachers believed that Paper-based
tests are the most effective, convenient and fair assessment method, but they
all recognize the limitations of paper exams. In particular, parents attach
great importance to the results of written tests. In addition, there is a significant
resource gap between urban and rural schools, with rural schools lacking the
necessary equipment for process assessment. As a result, they are limited to
using traditional Paper-based
tests as their assessment method.
21 teachers believed that although the
assessment method of Paper-based tests is not comprehensive in assessing students' abilities, it
is the most efficient and fair method. For example, participant B, who has been teaching for 14
years, mentioned，
A Paper-based
test can only be considered the most expedient option. To assess students'
experimental abilities, teachers must spend a lot of time, but this condition
is not available in reality. Because we do not have as many class hours to
examine students' experimental operations. Furthermore, no primary school has
enough laboratories and equipment is equipped to test every student's
experimental skill in class. Although Paper-based test is not the most ideal
choice, it is the most suitable assessment method at present.
While
acknowledging the limitations of Paper-based tests, most teachers also
underscore their drawbacks. Paper-based assessments primarily evaluate
students' scientific knowledge，however, science courses differ
significantly from other subjects as they necessitate not only comprehension of
key concepts but also independent application and exploration through hands-on
experimentation. Consequently, relying solely on Paper-based tests fails to
adequately gauge a student's scientific literacy in the present context.
Furthermore, it is imperative for primary school teachers at lower grade levels
to prioritize fostering students' scientific curiosity and nurturing their
critical thinking abilities. Meanwhile, at this stage, children's scientific
proficiency cannot be accurately reflected solely through paper-based tests. In
interviews with 16 science teachers, they proposed their own opinions on
assessing scientific academic performance and suggested combining traditional
paper-based tests with other assessment methods in daily teaching. While
acknowledging the continued importance of paper-based tests in current
education, science teachers emphasized the need for flexible use of multiple
assessment methods to ensure accurate assessment of students' true scientific
level. For example, participant C mentioned in the interview:
When
introducing experimental courses, I will demonstrate the experiments in class
and assign follow-up tasks for students to complete outside of class. During
task assignments, I will provide assessment plans to guide their work.
Interested students can upload videos or pictures of their completed
experiments to my designated mini program for review and feedback. Based on the
assessment results, I will award them with "scientific stars". As a
sixth-grade teacher, my assessments are divided into two parts: one based on
the number of scientific stars earned throughout the term, which determines
rewards at the end; and another based on written exams administered by the
school.
In China's
educational environment, both students and parents generally agree that the
written test plays a central role in the admission process of high school and
college, and its importance surpasses other evaluation methods，
As a parent
and educator, I agree that high school and college entrance exams still have a
prominent place in the current social system, where academic achievement is
highly valued. Additionally, primary education lays the foundation for future
learning, making it crucial to assess students' understanding of scientific
concepts early on. While there may be limitations to relying solely on
knowledge assessments, as a parent, I find comfort in my child's success in
these exams. Despite this, it would be beneficial to explore alternative
methods of assessment within the constraints of national policies.
4.3 Contents of assessment on science academic
performance of primary school students
When assessing
the performance of primary school students in science subjects, the assessment
criteria mainly refer to the Chinese Science Curriculum Standards, covering
scientific concept understanding, scientific thinking ability, experimental inquiry
practice, and cognition of attitude and responsibility. However, teachers are
faced with the problem of lack of specific evaluation indicators. At the same
time, they argue that assessments should focus more on the student's learning
journey, but it is difficult to implement.
Among the survey respondents, 17 respondents believe that
the effectiveness of students' science learning should be measured according to
the key competencies in the curriculum standards. Notably, 21 individuals
prioritize scientific concepts, while 14 emphasize scientific abilities and 14
value attitude and responsibility. For example, participant A proposed,
I think that
when it comes to assessing science knowledge, we should focus on four key
areas. Personally, I believe that two aspects are particularly important.
Firstly, students should understand how to apply the scientific method in
experiments. While the specific topics they learn may change, it's crucial for
them to grasp concepts like comparative experiments where only one condition is
altered and investigation experiments where they need to develop a hypothesis,
plan their experiment, carry it out and analyze the results. Secondly, students
should cultivate a sense of responsibility by staying informed about current events
and social issues.
But all 23
respondents stated that they have not set clear
indicators for assessment on science academic performance. Five teachers
pointed out that this is due to the limitations of the assessment method
assessment. For example, participant F pointed out in the interview，
Our school
mainly uses Paper-based tests for scientific academic assessment, and it is
difficult to assess students' attitudes and responsibilities through test
papers.
4 teachers
have emphasized the importance of assessing students' scientific proficiency
during the learning process, and subsequently implementing a reward system in
accordance with timely assessments conducted within the classroom setting.
Given the large class sizes, it is difficult for teachers to fully assess the
progress of each student, In addition, there is a lack of appropriate
assessment indicators. Therefore, it is hard to assess students' science
ability in the learning process. For example, Teacher P, who participated in
the interview and has seven years of teaching experience, During the
experimental process, teachers are unable to provide individual attention to
every student and may only focus on exceptional students. Consequently, due to
the large class size, it becomes challenging for teachers to comprehensively
evaluate students' experimental operation abilities.
4.4 Challenges of assessment on science academic performance of primary
school students
Due to the
influence of high school entrance examination and college entrance examination
system, written examination is generally used as the main assessment means in
primary school. Therefore, teachers pay more
attention to the teaching of knowledge but ignore scientific skills or
scientific thinking, because the Paper-based tests mainly examines scientific
knowledge. The results of Paper-based tests sometimes hurt students' learning
enthusiasm. 20 teachers mentioned this issue assessment, such as
participant H mentioned，
Some students
have deeper scientific thinking and are interested in exploring, which cannot
be shown in Paper-based tests. For example, if a student is careless, he may
not do well on the Paper-based test, but he actually knows how to master the
scientific abilities and knowledge. I hope that my students can truly fall in
love with science from the bottom of their hearts, rather than falling in love
with the Paper-based test results.
In China, Paper-based
tests have always been required for Chinese, mathematics and English. In recent
years, primary schools in some areas began to test science by Paper-based
tests, which caused some parents to pay attention to their children's science
learning. However, most parents only concerned the results of Paper-based
tests, rather the experimental abilities or the attitudes toward science.
Participant J said in the interview,
Generally
speaking, parents do not value science in primary schools. Only the final exam
lets them know their children’s performances in science. Sometimes, when I
assign some science homework after class that requires parental assistance,
parents just ignore it.
The heavy
workload of teachers and students is also issues in assessment. 70.1% primary
school science teachers in China are part-time science teachers (Zheng et al.,
2023). Part-time science teachers have 12~15 Chinese or math classes per week
and only 1~2 science classes, thus inevitably neglecting the assessment on
science academic performances. R, who has been teaching Chinese for 32 years,
repeatedly mentioned the problem of insufficient number of science teachers in
the interview, and pointed out her confusion in the assessment,
I am currently
devoted to science education, but feel pressed for time. Many times, I am
unable to assess students in a timely manner and the assessments lack detail.
This is also why I struggle to provide comprehensive feedback on assessment
results to both students and parents.
Although some
teachers only teach science in primary school, they also face the problem of
teaching workload. 4 teachers pointed out that they had to teach many classes,
with even more than 200 students. Therefore, while it is desirable to diversify
assessment methods, this means spending more. For example, participant J
stated,
Our school has
four classes in one grade, and I am the only professional science teacher.
assessment I have to teach many classes, some at different grade levels, and I
feel very overwhelmed by the teaching load. I feel exhausted just organizing
experimental equipment and materials, let alone spending time on assessment.
Moreover, the
heavy learning tasks of students also make it difficult to carry out
assessment. In the first and second grades, there is too little time for
science, with most schools setting only one science lesson per week. As some assessment methods require time outside of the class,
they cannot be utilized for assessment. Participant E pointed out in the
interview:
The students have
to learn science as well as Chineses, mathematics,
English, and so on. They are really too busy, especially at the end of the
semester.
The assessment
of scientific skills is an important part of the assessment of science academic
performance of primary students. However, many primary schools currently do not
even have available laboratories for students to conduct experiments, and most
schools lack of experimental materials and equipment. 6 teachers stated that
the lack of financial support is also a problem in assessment of science
academic performance. For example, participant I said,
If science
assessments conduct experimental tests, a considerable amount of funding is
needed. Adequate laboratories should be available and each student needs a set
of materials.
One of the
difficulties encountered in the evaluation process is the lack of effective
evaluation mechanism. As many as nine respondents highlighted the importance of
high-quality and practical evaluation tools to ensure the impartiality of
evaluations. Participant N mentioned in the interview,
The assessment
content of the Paper-based tests is not comprehensive. Although the
evaluation of experimental skills is highly expected, teachers are faced with
the dilemma of lack of corresponding operational evaluation methods.
5 DISCUSSION
With the aims
of understanding current situation and challenges of assessment on science
academic performance of primary school students, We
conducted structured semi-open-ended interviews with 23 primary school science
teachers. These findings are expected to improve the understanding of policy
makers, curriculum designers, educators, and primary school teachers about the
difficulties of assessing science learning. Such an understanding will
facilitate assessment-related professional development programs to respond more
effectively to the needs of science teachers. Although the context of this
study is the Chinese education system, its exploration of science academic
assessment may have implications for the rest of the world, as countries share
practical challenges faced by teachers who use traditional assessment methods.
Therefore, the insights from this study can also provide valuable references
for other teachers internationally when conducting science learning
assessments. The following chapters will discuss in detail the issues raised in
this study.
5.1 What are the attitudes of primary school science teachers toward
assessment on science academic performance of primary school students?
Teachers generally hold a positive
attitude towards the assessment of academic achievement in primary science
courses. From the
interview results, it is evident that all 23 respondents hold a positive
attitude towards the assessment of primary school science academic performance.
This view is reflected in a study by Brown and Gavin (2004) involving New
Zealand and Queensland, Australia. They note that when assessment results are
applied to school accountability tracking, and when formative assessments are
used to promote learning progress and students' self-responsibility, teachers
view such assessments more positively than just focusing on the results of
terminal assessments. The data shows that teachers who are passionate about
assessment are more likely to see it as valuable and more frequently use
assessment information to adjust their teaching strategies, compared to
teachers who are less passionate about assessment (Sayac
& Veldhuis, 2022). The assessment of students'
academic performance in primary school science teaching is considered to be a
crucial aspect in promoting youth science education (Darling-Hammond et al.,
2014). Past records show that data from student evaluations are integrated into
schools' reform design, implementation, evaluation, and optimization processes
(Ward DeJoseph, 2012). Training teachers' academic assessment abilities can
effectively enhance their assessment enthusiasm and promote their professional
development, which is consistent with previous academic findings, which prove
the positive effect of training and professional development activities on
improving teacher effectiveness (Ferreira & Morais, 2020; White, 2010).
However, the low quality of science teacher education and training has somewhat
diminished teachers' enthusiasm to participate in assessment, which is similar
to the current situation of science education in Pakistan (Hali et al., 2020).
5.2 What is the current situation of assessment on science academic
performance of primary school students?
It is not
difficult to find that the academic assessment of primary school science is
gradually improving under the guidance of the policies of the Ministry of
Education, however, there is still a need to explore better assessment
mechanisms.
Firstly, from the perspective of assessment content, 20
out of 23 respondents clearly pointed out that their current primary school
science academic assessment focuses on the four aspects of science key
competencies in Science Curriculum Standards for Primary school (2022 Edition).
Consistent curriculum standards enable people to monitor educational progress
based on these standards by focusing on students' efforts, teachers' efforts,
and schools' efforts, thereby influencing student achievement (W, 1995).
However, not all respondents set corresponding indicators for the content of
academic assessment, indicating that the current assessment of primary school
science lacks standardization. This research finding contradicts international
scientific assessments, which typically employ clear assessment indicators (Cansiz & Cansiz, 2019; Lay
& Chandrasegaran, 2016).
Secondly, from the perspective of assessment methods, the
Paper-based test
method is still the mainstream of primary school science academic
assessment, and is also considered the most efficient and fair assessment
method (Shang & Qiu, 2018). In
recent years, many educational institutions are undergoing a transition from
traditional paper-based assessments to online assessments (Genc, 2012; Hsiao et
al., 2012) . However, according to this study, there
is no significant difference in the effectiveness of paper-based tests and
online tests (Jungjohann et al., 2023; Saleh et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2008). Hakim
(2018) pointed out that when understanding and applying the research findings,
it is necessary to consider the computer proficiency of the current generation,
who are accustomed to using computers and are satisfied with the convenience
brought by them. Scientific academic assessments around the world, such as
PISA, TIMSS and NAEP, have generally adopted computerised
forms of testing. Science courses not only require students to comprehend the
key concepts but also necessitate their ability to independently practice and
explore the essence of phenomena through hands-on experiments. In the future, enhanced
machine testing methods can be utilized in scientific academic assessments to
assess students' experimental skills.
Thirdly, in the investigation of
primary school science learning evaluation, we observe that the executive body
of evaluation shows a certain diversity. Most of the teacher respondents
pointed out that in the current teaching evaluation practice, teacher
evaluation plays a dominant role, while student evaluation plays a secondary
role. A very few teachers even introduce parental assessment into student
assessments, which is consistent with previous reports on academic
assessments (Alkharusi et al., 2014; Birjandi & Tamjid, 2012;
Chang et al., 2012; Sari et al., 2016).
5.3 What are challenges of assessment on science academic performance of
primary school students?
Firstly, 23 respondents pointed out that the current assessment method
in primary schools mainly relies on Paper-based tests, this was supported by
Duncan's research (Duncan & Buskirk-Cohen, 2011). The fact that Paper-based
tests mainly assess students' mastery of scientific knowledge leads teachers to
focus more on imparting knowledge during the teaching process in order to
improve students' grades, while neglecting the cultivation of students'
scientific skills and thinking abilities. However, the core goal of evaluation
should be to promote effective learning for students now and in the future. (Boud & Falchikov, 2007;
Carless & Zhou, 2015) In fact, well-designed terminal assessment processes
can also foster formative assessment methods, such as peer review, student
self-evaluation, and teacher feedback (Rawlusyk,
2016). At the same time, teachers should constantly assess students in
classroom teaching. As assessment expert Stiggins (Stiggins & Richard,
1999) said, "If classroom assessment practice activities cannot be
effectively carried out, then conducting other levels of student academic
assessment activities is completely a waste of time and money.”
Secondly, the content of scientific academic assessment
is not comprehensive. All 20 teachers stated that the current primary school
science academic assessment cannot comprehensively assess students' scientific
learning ability in terms of content. Science education in primary school is
faced with a serious problem of shortage of specialized teachers, whose
professional quality is not enough to build an efficient science teaching
collective, and this phenomenon is also reflected in Pakistan (Hali et al.,
2020). Teachers have heavy daily workloads and face high teaching pressure,
which makes it difficult for them to find additional time and energy to
effectively comprehensively evaluate the content of scientific studies.
Additionally, the heavy workload of students also poses challenges for academic
assessment. It is necessary to reduce students' academic burden and provide
teachers with more time to evaluate their performance. However, Tofe-grehl and Callahan(2017)
point out that for gifted students, they tend to perform well in high-load
learning tasks that emphasize a lot of independent exploration and
research-based learning.
The lack of funding support for implementing scientific
academic assessment not only limits the assessment process and prevents
teachers from using experimental assessment methods, but also hinders effective
improvement of teaching quality and impacts students' academic development. The
level of recognition regarding the importance of scientific assessment in
primary schools by the education management department determines the amount of
funds invested in the assessment system. Due to limited educational resources,
if some teachers and managers are unaware of the funds required for
implementing scientific academic assessment during the process, it will result
in a lack of priority and relevance related to scientific academic assessment
in fund allocation and utilization, directly affecting the normal progress of
scientific academic assessment.
Finally, the lack of assessment instruments is another
issue. The content of scientific academic assessment involves multiple aspects,
and designing and constructing a scale that meets the current standards for
academic assessment is highly challenging. Insufficient assessment tools can
result in inaccurate outcomes in scientific academic assessment (Anggraeni & Mundilarto, 2020;
Slott et al., 2008). Moreover, constructing an academic assessment scale
requires scientific empirical research and verification, which consumes a lot
of time and resources. Therefore, many school teachers lack the corresponding
experience and ability to complete it. Moreover, constructing an academic
assessment scale requires scientific empirical research and verification, which
consumes a significant amount of time and resources. Therefore, many school
teachers lack the corresponding experience and ability to complete it.
5.4 Limitations and future studies
There are some
limitations to this study. First, the teachers who participated in the
interviews were only from a specific region, which may limit the general
applicability of the study findings. In order to improve the universality and
representativeness of the study, subsequent studies should expand the sample
size to include more teachers and participants from different cities and even
countries, so as to enhance its external validity. Second, by focusing
primarily on teacher interviews, the study ignores important viewpoints from
other stakeholders, including students and parents. The depth of our
understanding of the topic would be increased by include interviews with people
who represent various backgrounds and positions within the educational system.
Thirdly, the study only used interview methodology, which might have limited
the amount of data that could be gathered. Future research could use techniques
like document analysis or classroom observations to increase comprehensiveness.
These additional methods would enhance the study and make it easier to conduct
a more thorough investigation of the research question.
Disclosure statement
The authors
declare no conflict of interest to be disclosed.
Ethics statement
Study
participants were volunteers. At the start of the study, the objectives of the
study were made clear to all participants. A total of 23 participants agreed to
participate in the study after being informed that their identities would be
kept confidential and that the information they provided would only be used for
academic research.
Data availability
Data generated and/or analyzed in this study
may be made available upon reasonable request by the primary contact author.
Funding
This work was supported by the Zhejiang Social
Science Federation Subject (2023N079), Department of Education of Zhejiang
Province (Y202351624),
Chinese Society of Educational Development
Strategy (CEE202308) and the Graduate Scientific Research Foundation of Wenzhou
University (3162023003015).
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