Does Teacher Education Matter? Comparison of Education and Science Major Teachers’ Assessment Literacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate science teachers' assessment literacy having different majors (education versus science) and compare those teachers' assessment literacy. A multiple-case study, one of the qualitative research designs, was utilized to fulfill the aim. Four science teachers, two from each major, who were teaching at public schools during the 2017-2018 semesters, participated in the study. Preinterviews, observations, post-interviews, and documents were used as data collection tools during the investigation. Content analysis was conducted using science teachers' assessment literacy model that exists in the literature. The findings of the study revealed that science teachers were similar and different from each other with respect to several dimensions of assessment literacy, which are views about learning, assessment purposes, assessment strategies, what to assess, and assessment interpretation. Recommendations for science education research and implications for science teacher education are provided.

Assessor in action: assessment literacy development in a biochemistry context

“…An instructor's actions within the classroom both are informed by and create a context for their assessment decisions. These decisions include not only which concepts to assess and which modes of assessment to use, but also how to analyze and interpret responses to assessment items (Allal, 2013;Demirdogen and Korkut, 2021;. This assessment sense-making activity, essential to an instructor's self-reflective cycles, relies upon the interactions of all of the elements of the TALiP framework and fosters the development of assessor identity.…”

“…The peak element of the TALiP framework is an instructor's identity as an assessor, which is built through assessment experience and synergistic interaction of all elements and levels of the framework (The full original framework has been provided in the Appendix 2). Due to the centrality of assessment in chemistry and biochemistry education, it is important to understand how instructors build their assessor identities and perceive the function of assessment in their classroom (McMillan, 2003;Looney et al, 2018;Coombs et al, 2020, Demirdogen andKorkut, 2021). Specifically, assessor identity is built through learning from assessment outcomes and reflecting on those outcomes to connect them to an instructor's own assessment practices (DeLuca et al, 2018 and2019).…”

“…Researchers often consider how instructors' assessment choices and interpretations affect students, but these choices also impact the instructors themselves (Offerdahl and Tomanek, 2011;Offerdahl and Montplaisir, 2014). For example, assessments can influence an instructor's knowledge of students' understanding and of pedagogical techniques (Sadler, 2012;Talanquer et al, 2015;Demirdogen and Korkut, 2021;. Previous work has shown that chemistry instructors have knowledge of terminology related to assessment and knowledge about tools of summative and formative assessment, however this knowledge is distributed differently depending on institution type, and teaching and research experience (Emenike et al, 2013b;Raker et al, 2013;Raker and Holme, 2014;Coombs et al, 2018;Gibbons et al, 2022).…”

“…Previous work has shown that chemistry instructors have knowledge of terminology related to assessment and knowledge about tools of summative and formative assessment, however this knowledge is distributed differently depending on institution type, and teaching and research experience (Emenike et al, 2013b;Raker et al, 2013;Raker and Holme, 2014;Coombs et al, 2018;Gibbons et al, 2022). Differences in beliefs on the purpose of assessment also differ depending on whether the chemistry instructor has a science or education background (Demirdogen and Korkut, 2021).…”