Assessment Reform In Science

Features

Description

The conclusions and recommendations made in the book are derived from a study of ten teachers in Hong Kong as they tried to change their practice following a reform of the Hong Kong assessment system. Hong Kong is simply a context that provided the opportunity to gather very rich and informative data on issues pertaining to assessment reforms which also have very wide implications in many countries' contexts.

The book is written for practising teachers, teachers-in-training, teacher educators, policy makers and researchers who are interested in teachers' classroom practices, teacher beliefs, teacher professionalism, implementation of educational reforms in general and high stakes assessment reforms in particular.

The book is organized in a manner that rapidly presents the case histories of the teachers to the readers. These can be helpful to all teachers, whether in training or experienced, in a number of ways: (1) as a set of ideas to be debated upon and to act as a springboard for reflection on the purposes of assessment in education and on the role of teachers in these purposes; (2) as examples of practice that can be compared to the readers' own existing practices; and (3) as a source of models of practice to apply and test in readers' own classrooms.

The case histories are followed by a discussion of a number of issues that arise from this group of teachers' beliefs and practices. To cater for research-oriented readers, the relevant literature, theoretical underpinnings, and the intriguing research methodology that led to the case histories will appear as appendices.

Review: International Journal of Science Education Vol. 30, No. 8, 25 June 2008, pp. 1129a 1133 ISSN 0950-0693 (print)/ISSN 1464-5289 (online)/08/081129a 05 DOI: 10.1080/09500690701880167 BOOK REVIEW Assessment Reform in Science: Fairness and Fear Benny H. W. Yung, 2006 Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer $159.00 (hbk), 293 pp.

ISBN 1-4020-3374-5 Benny H. W. Yunga (TM)s book, Assessment Reform in Science: Fairness and Fear, explores the issues that come to the fore when a major assessment reform is mandated. Yung began the study intending to focus on the features of 10 secondary biology teachersa (TM) practice with regard to the assessment reform; their perceptions of the intent and regulations of the reform itself; their beliefs about science, teaching, and learning; and the relationships among these practices, perceptions, and beliefs.

As it turned out, however, two additional areas became important to consider, as well: the teachersa (TM) views of fairness, and their sense of professionalism. The specific focus of the book is the Hong Kong Advanced Level Teacher Assessment Scheme (TAS) for biology practical work. The TAS replaced a standard public examination based on the system in the UK.

Yung was involved in the initial development of the TAS, and worked for the Hong Kong Examinations Authority at the time of its inception. (He left that post before conducting this study.) The teacher is required to enact a set number of TAS practicals, reporting assessment of studentsa (TM) work to the Hong Kong Examinations Authority.

The intention of the TAS is not to replicate the public examination system, but rather tofold assessment into the teachera (TM)s normal routine, and thus to alleviate the challenges of enacting the public examinations. The TAS is also intended to reduce studentsa (TM) anxiety and allow a valid assessment of their practical work abilities.

Finally, it is intended to enhance teachersa (TM) professionalism. In other words, although the TAS is mainly an assessment reform, it is also a pedagogical reform. It does, however, put teachers in a tricky position in which they need to administera and determine the results ofa a high-stakes assessment with their own students.

The first two chapters of the book set the stage, with Chapter 1 giving a high-level overview of the study and the literature in which it is grounded, as well as the methodological approach taken. Chapter 2 describes the TAS and the Hong Kong educational systema although n