Childs Ann, Baird Jo-Anne
University of Oxford UK.
Curric J. 2020 Sep;31(3):357-378. doi: 10.1002/curj.20. Epub 2020 Jan 10.
This article responds to two key concerns in science education: firstly, that policies designed to assess practical work have distorted its use as an effective pedagogical tool. Secondly, it addresses concerns about the lack of research on the assessment of practical work. The article analyses the policy trajectory for the assessment of science practical work, through the GCSE, in the English National Curriculum from 1988 to the present day. Drawing on published research and policy documents, using Bowe, Ball and Gould's policy cycle approach to policy analysis, we first identify three distinct eras which represent different ways of assessing practical work from 1988 to the present day. Second, we demonstrate that the interaction between high-stakes assessment narrows the ways practical work is conducted in schools. The interaction between curriculum policy and assessment policy and its influences on pedagogy for practical work has been influenced by the high-stakes nature of the tests. This is not a unique case to England nor to science education. Finally, we question whether we can design assessments, 'tests worth teaching to', that can withstand the implications of high-stakes testing.
其一，旨在评估实践活动的政策扭曲了其作为有效教学工具的用途；其二，它解决了对实践活动评估缺乏研究的问题。本文分析了1988年至今英国国家课程普通中等教育证书（GCSE）中科学实践活动评估的政策轨迹。借鉴已发表的研究和政策文件，运用鲍伊、鲍尔和古尔德的政策周期方法进行政策分析，我们首先确定了三个不同的时期，它们代表了1988年至今评估实践活动的不同方式。其次，我们证明高利害关系评估之间的相互作用缩小了学校开展实践活动的方式。课程政策与评估政策之间的相互作用及其对实践活动教学法的影响受到了考试高利害关系性质的影响。这并非英国或科学教育所独有的情况。最后，我们质疑是否能够设计出“值得为之教学的测试”这样的评估方式，使其能够经受住高利害关系测试的影响。
