Teachers' use of assessment criteria in practical science activities

A paradigm shift from assessment of learning (AoL) towards assessment for learning (AfL) and assessment as learning (AaL) is occurring across many countries. A similar trend is obvious in the Australian secondary education system. Teachers are encouraged to adopt a number of strategies, such as sharing assessment criteria and feedback in order to improve learning and raise educational achievement. However, not enough is known about the extent to which teachers have embraced this change in a core key learning area like Science. Even less is known about the use of assessment criteria. Hence, this study aims to explore teachers’ use of assessment criteria in practical science activities (PSAs) by following an ecological perspective. The qualitative data collected from three case studies (two government schools and one independent school) was analysed using a constant comparative method. To establish the representativeness of the case studies, quantitative data was collected from 310 teachers working in government and independent schools across New South Wales and analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis.The findings suggest that science teachers in NSW develop criteria without student input. They use the criteria for various purposes, but most commonly for marking and reporting student achievement. Explicit criteria are used for summative assessments only. Moreover, teachers generally don’t get students to use criteria for self- and peer-assessment either. Thus, teachers’ use of assessment criteria primarily reflects the philosophy of AoL and does not really align with AfL and AaL principles, despite the importance of such assessment given in the literature, school policies and briefings by department heads and principals in case studies. Explanations for this lack of uptake of assessment for/as learning in practice are not always clear. Teachers’ use of criteria can be influenced by numerous factors: time constraints, lack of teaching experience, collaboration with colleagues and other contextual factors. However, a gap between teachers and school leaders understanding of the role and use of criteria is a problem for policy implementation. Therefore, this study stresses the importance of providing continuous professional development and support to bridge practice and policy in relation to teachers’ use of assessment criteria