| Summary: | 碩士 === 臺中師範學院 === 自然科學教育學系 === 90 === Abstract
The major purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of implementing performance assessments in learning science for elementary school pupils. Quasi-experimental research method was applied in this study. The subjects consisted of sixty-one third graders in two classes, which were selected from an elementary school in the central area of Taiwan. One class with thirty-one pupils was assigned to be an experimental group and the other class with thirty pupils was assigned to be a contrast group. The experimental group was adopted the performance assessments. The contrast group was adopted the paper-and-pencil tests. All the instruments were developed by the researcher. The pretests administered before the experiment were to eliminate the differences between the two groups.
An eight-week study was designed and performed. Quantitative data were collected from classroom observations and personal interviews. The post-tests were held after the experiment, all pupils filled out the questionnaires including “Achievement Test of Science Concept” and “Questionnaire on Attitude towards Science Learning”. Data collected from pretests and posttests were submitted to one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to see the effects of assessment procedures. The major findings are summarized as follows.
1. Attitude towards science learning held by elementary third graders receiving performance assessments was better than the pupils receiving paper-and-pencil tests.
2. There was no significant difference between achievements and science concepts of elementary third graders who receiving performance assessments and paper-and-pencil tests.
3. Performance assessments were applied to measure science process skills than paper-and-pencil tests were.
4. Both teachers and students held the positive attitude about the effects of implementing performance assessments.
Based on the above results, the feasibility of implementing performance assessments of the Outlines of Nine-Year Integrated Curriculum in elementary school was discussed. Moreover, the researcher concluded with a few proposals to advance the guiding principles and policies of performance assessments. Educators and those who intend to take the research further in the future can refer to the materials.
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