The impact of NCEA assessment on teaching,

learning and motivation to learn science

investigation in Year 11

Azra MoeedFaculty of Education

Victoria University of Wellington

Learning School Science

• Conceptual understanding

• Procedural understanding

• Understanding the nature of science

Two systemic changes

• Science in the New Zealand Curriculum

• New assessment regime[National Certificate in Educational Achievement NCEA]

Internal assessment of science investigation

• It is expected that the students will develop any specific

investigative skills they need when they are carrying out a

complete investigation.

• The processes of investigation are not sequential. The

process may begin at any point... and will tend to move

backwards and forwards. Students should be reflecting on

their decisions, actions, and findings and modifying their

plans and actions as they are proceeding. (Science in the

New Zealand Curriculum, 1993, p. 47)

The curriculum requirement…The ability to carry out a complete investigation is the

key expected outcome.

Assessment requirement

“Carry out a practical science investigation, with

direction, by planning the investigation, collecting and

processing the data, and interpreting and reporting the

findings”.

NCEA science AS1.1

International evidence that assessment of performance

is problematic in mass education [Millar, 2004; Donnelly (2000),

Gott and Duggan (2002), Roberts and Gott (2003)]

Participants and Data collection

• Population of year 11 science teachers in greater

Wellington

• Interviews of all Year 11 science teachers in a typical

state, medium size, coeducational school in

Wellington

• Classroom observations of one year 11 science class

in the same school for an academic year. Teacher

reflection of each observed lesson, focus group

interviews, observation of the assessment for AS1.1

Change in practice

• Sixty-six respondents (65%) had taught year 11

science before the introduction of the National

Certificate of Educational Achievement.

• Fifty-five (83%) of the teachers who had taught

before the introduction of the National Certificate of

Educational Achievement reported a change in their

practice of teaching science investigation.

Reasons for doing more

investigations

Learning

Assessment

Less time

Future use

Student motivation

Reasons for doing fewer investigations

Learning

Assessment

Less time

Future

Student motivation

Reasons for doing the same number of

investigations

Learning

Assessment

Less time

Future use

Student motivation

Reasons for doing more

investigations

Learning

Assessment

Less time

Future use

Student motivation

Reasons for doing the same number of

investigations

Learning

Assessment

Less time

Future use

Student motivation

Reasons for doing fewer investigations

Learning

Assessment

Less time

Future

Student motivation

Emergent themes

1 Science Investigation as a Linear Process

2 Investigation in Practice: Fair Testing

3 Training to Investigate

4 Changes in Teaching Practice after the Introduction of NCEA

5 A Pragmatic Approach to Investigation

6 Reliability and Validity Issues with Assessment of Investigation

7 Teacher Unease about Their Own Practice

8 A Focus on Knowledge Outcomes

9 Encouraging a Surface Approach to Learning

10 Philosophical tensions between beliefs, curriculum, and

assessment

The assessed investigation:

Watch that Car Go!• „Watch that car go‟ was a moderated task available

on the Ministry of Education website

• Background Information:

Watching children play with their toy cars, students

noticed that the cars seemed to travel at different

speeds depending on the slope they were released

on.

The assessed task:

In this investigation you are to plan, collect, process

and interpret information, and present a report to find

out how the slope of a ramp affects the distance the

car goes along the flat (table or floor). This

investigation is a “fair test” investigation.

Ed‟s arguement

“Miss you know when you go down a

steep road the car goes faster. You can

even turn off the engine”.

“Naa!

Why would I want to investigate that?”

Ben‟s response

• You dummy....

• It‟s worth FOUR credits!

Motivation?

The connectedness....

Teaching

Motivation to learn

Learning

All constrained by assessment

So what?

• Two further changes

• The New Zealand Curriculum (2007)

• Science AS1.1 removed

• But...Schools can choose to offer Biology 1.1

or Physics 1.1 or Chemistry 1.1

• Only follow up will tell where we are heading.

Concern

• Only three external achievement

standards can be offered

• Schools are likely to offer more

internals. Will they offer assessment of

investigation?

References

• Millar, R. (2004). The role of practical work in the teaching and

learning of science. Paper presented for the meeting of high

school science laboratories: Role and Vision. Washington, DC:

National Academy of Sciences.

• Moeed, A. & Hall, C. (2011). Teaching, learning and

assessment of science investigation in year 11: Teachers‟

response to NCEA. New Zealand Science Review, 68(3), 95-

102.

• Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2003). Assessment of biology

investigations. Journal of Biological Education, 37(3), 114-121.

• Roberts, R., & Gott, R. (2006). Assessment of performance in

practical science and pupil attributes. Assessment in Education:

Principle, Policy & Practice, 13(1), 45-67.