Assessment of practical work

By Education in Chemistry2006-09-01T00:00:00

Secondary school students doing practical science

Source: iStock

Researchers at Durham University have been investigating different techniques to measure key aspects of practical performance with a view to producing test items that are more reliable than those currently used

Science teachers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been grappling with the complexities of assessing pupils' practical skills through GCSE investigations for the past 15 years or so. Questions have been raised about the value of these tasks and the effect they have had on pupils' perceptions of science. Ros Roberts and Richard Gott of Durham University have been investigating different techniques to measure key aspects of practical performance with a view to producing test items that are more reliable than those currently used.¹

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