FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBES

Reference: “Uncovering Student Ideas in Science” – Volume 1, (2, 3, 4) – Keeley, Eberle and Farrin, NSTA Press ISBN: 0-

87355-255-5

WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED TEACHING A NEW CONCEPT IN

SCIENCE DO YOU REALLY KNOW IF YOUR STUDENTS UNDERSTAND?

As students grow older they obtain information about science from

many different sources.

Sometimes this information is very accurate and sometimes it is

NOT. This is becoming more so as students access the internet

where sometimes the information is not correct.

It is also true to say that they develop their own

misconceptions, as a result of never having been exposed to

good science teaching.

As a result of these reasons students can develop

misconceptions about important science concepts, which are never

corrected.

Thus it is necessary for science teachers to conduct Formative

Assessment to identify if students DO have misconceptions about

science ideas.

So it is also necessary that teachers know and understand the

important concepts that they are teaching their students.

One way to do this is to devise or search for

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBES.

These probes can be used for any of the following purposes:

1. Know how students’ ideas differ from one grade level to the next.

2. Know how ready individual students are for instruction.3. Know ideas students have before teaching. (misconceptions).4. Know whether conceptual change is occurring

(misconceptions corrected).5. Know whether students retain the accepted science ideas

years after instruction, or revert back to their prior knowledge (misconceptions).

6. Identify the gaps that exist in a school’s curriculum.7. Use as an Action Research Project in Qatar. (1. 3. 4. 5. above

would be especially suited)

AND NOW TO YOUR TASK FOR TODAY!!!!