SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD (Department of Science

Education)
Faculty of Education Course: Assessment in Science Education (697)
Semester: Spring, 2020 Level: M. Ed 1
Q#1

Describe the nature of practical skills and abilities. How these skills are assessed in a school
setting?

For the purpose of this session, “practical skills” means skills performed by hand (as in tying a
knot) or with human intervention using equipment, tools or technology requiring guidance, force
or movement. Skills and abilities are tasks that you naturally do well, talents and strengths that
you bring to the table as a student and/or employee. These include natural capabilities you've
always had, in addition to specific knowledge and skills you've acquired through experience and
training.

How to Reintegrate Practical Skills in the School Curriculum

There are some schools however that have continued to prioritize practical skills as part of their
curriculum for the past hundred years–many of which are Montessori schools, based on the
philosophy of their visionary founder: Where school is not simply a place where instruction is
given, but is “preparation for life itself.”

In aligning to this vision, these schools have created a curriculum to teach practical life skills that
span from age 3-17.

Below is a short summary of the Montessori practices, their connection to key 21st-century
skills, and prompts for how you might apply them to your own setting.

Early Childhood

Montessori Practice:

Practical skills in the early childhood Montessori curriculum revolve around five key pillars:

 Social Relations
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 Control and Coordination of Movement

 Preliminary Activities
 Care of Person
 Care of Environment
Early year teachers prepare the room in such a way as to artfully expose students to these
practical skills as being a natural part of their environment. Each practical life material is
carefully placed in its own designated area and color coordinated to ensure easy access and
coordination in the classroom. There is a dishwashing station; laundry area with detergent and
soiled clothes; and textile materials where students can learn how to button clothing and tie their
own shoes. Teachers model how to utilize each station and then allow children the freedom to
explore. Students naturally gravitate towards activities that interest them.

The Outcomes and Connection to 21st Century Skills

The purpose of structuring activities in such a way is not to reach a predetermined outcome or
learning objective, but rather to help young children to develop the pride, self- reliance and joy
that comes as a result of being able to complete a task alone. They also gain skills in problem-
solving and critical thinking which include higher order skills of logical sequencing and
perfection of movement. Finally, they develop social and collaborative skills of grace and
courtesy as each young child must respect the space and activity choices of their classmates.

Questions for Reflection

If you are an early years teacher, how do you teach practical skills? How might you prepare your
environment to allow students to acquire these skills on their own? How can you effectively
model each activity for those needing more assistance and support? What ground rules might you
need to ensure graceful and courteous interaction?

Lower/Upper Elementary

Montessori Practice

As children move into lower and upper elementary, they begin to integrate the practical life skills
they learned in their early years. In long, extended work cycles, students are free to choose their
work and manage their own time. Teachers pull students in small groups to present mini-lessons
related to concepts and content within each subject. This freedom demands that students develop
the practical executive functioning skills of task initiation, organizational planning, emotional
control, self-regulation and efficacy crucial to success in today’s workplace.

In an elementary classroom, at any given point in time, you might find students building small-
scale models of Ancient Civilizations while others create toothpick structures of complex
molecules; older students introducing younger students to complex vocabulary and varied
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

sentence patterns; students building electronic circuits with a box of LEDs, wires, and alligator
clips, while others hand stitch. Each activity increases in complexity, and the environment is
prepared in a way that naturally engages the child and allows them to move at their own pace.

The Outcomes and Connection to 21st Century Skills

Allowing students management over their schedules, choice of activities/projects, and creation of
personalized learning goals helps them develop the cognitive flexibility and self-awareness
crucial for today’s workforce. While we don’t know what the future jobs will be, we do know
they will require more involvement from the employee in determining milestones, outcomes,
roles and responsibilities. Navigating this uncertainty becomes easier for a child who has had
such strong ownership of their learning at a young age.

Questions for Reflection

How much freedom do you provide children to choose their work? How much ownership do
students have over the classroom and community? How might you prepare your environment in
a way that feeds the child’s natural curiosity and allows them to explore at their own pace? How
can you work with students in establishing goals for learning?

Adolescence

Montessori Practice

As most of us are aware, adolescence is a time of turbulence, intense change, and interest that
wanes depending on the time of day or cycle of the moon. It is for these very reasons that the
Montessori practical life curriculum creates opportunities for students to find their purpose and
connect meaningfully to surrounding society.

The three main lenses for practical life during this period come through management of a
communal farm, development of a small business, and exposure to a series of occupations. On
the farm, students integrate the executive functioning skills from elementary with the practical
life skills picked up in early childhood to tend and raise the plants and animals.

The Outcomes and Connection to 21st Century Skills

By providing a real-world context for learning through the maintenance of the farm and in the
creation of small businesses, students develop the entrepreneurial skills required for future work.
Students learn how to create an idea, connect to relevant stakeholders, and serve the community.
Their exposure to the adult world is real and authentic, helping feed their need for meaning and
purpose.

Questions for Practice

SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

How might you turn ownership of your community over to students? What are some problems or
needs that exist at your school and how can you work with students to develop projects around
them? How might you connect them with community partners so they can make an impact in the
‘real world?’ What jobs exist in your parent community? How might you connect students to
these occupations?

In Closing

Practical skills will always be in high demand in today’s workforce. The challenge for us as
educators is to find a way to integrate them mindfully in the classroom. It doesn’t require
rewriting our curriculum, but it does require the reorganizing of our priorities. Integrating them
could be as simple as creating shared ownership of our classroom to working with students to
develop their own businesses. Where you start depends is entirely up to you.

Q#2

Discuss five categories of Krathwohl’s classification with suitable examples from any
science subject.

Krathwohl's taxonomy

Krathwohl's taxonomy is a model that describes how individual's process and internalize learning
objects on an affective or emotional level.

There are 5 levels to the taxonomy.

1. Receiving: keeping an open mind and

1. differentiating among

2. accepting

3. listening to

2. Responding: committing in some way to an idea by

 complying with

 following
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 recommending

 participating in

3. Valuing: actively participate in internalizing an idea, e.g., by

 developing proficiency in

 supporting

 debating

4. Organization: integrating a new value with those already held

 discuss

 theorize

 formulate

 balance

 examine

5. Characterization by value or value set: to act consistently with internalized values

From an instructor's standpoint:

Foster receiving by getting the student's attention

Verbs for expressing learning outcomes: ask, choose, describe, follow, give, hold, identify, reply,
select, use.

Foster responding by encouraging the student in participating on a voluntary level

Verbs for expressing learning outcomes: assist, conform, greet, help, perform, present, read, select,
tell, write.

Foster valuing by helping the student discuss the new idea and formulating potential ways to use the
idea
Verbs for expressing learning outcomes: complete, explain, follow, form, initiate, invite, join, justify,
propose, share.
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Foster organization by encourage the students by helping the student solve problems using the new
idea, integrating the new idea into a pre-existing structure for solving problems
(comparing, relating, and synthesizing values)
Verbs for expressing learning outcomes: adhere, alter, arrange, combine, generalize, identify,
integrate, modify, order, organize, prepare, relate, synthesize.

Foster characterization by value or value set by encouraging the student to transfer idea to daily life
Verbs for expressing learning outcomes: act, display, influence, listen, modify, perform, practice,
propose, qualify, question, serve, solve, use, verify.

Affective Domain

Bloom And Krathwohl

1. RECEIVING: refers to the student’s willingness to attend to particular phenomena or stimuli

(classroom activities, textbook, music, etc.). From a teaching standpoint, it is concerned with
getting, holding, and directing the student’s attention. Learning outcomes in this area range from
the simple awareness that a thing exists to selective attention on the part of the learner. Receiving
represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the affective domain.

Descriptive Activities:

 Listens attentively
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 Shows awareness of the importance of learning

 Shows sensitivity to social problems
 Accepts differences of race and culture
 Attends closely to the classroom activities

Question/Statement Verbs:

Asks, chooses, describes, follows, gives, holds, identifies, locates, names, points to, selects, sits
erect, replies,

2. RESPONDING: refers to active participation on the part of the student. At this level he not
only attends to a particular phenomenon but also reacts to it in some way. Learning outcomes in
this area may emphasize acquiescence in responding (reads beyond assignments) or satisfaction
in responding (reads for pleasure or enjoyment). The higher levels of this category include those
instructional objectives that are commonly classified under interest; that is, those that stress the
seeking out and enjoyment of particular activities.

Descriptive Activities:

 Completes assigned homework

 Obeys school rules
 Participates in class discussion
 Completes laboratory work
 Volunteers for special tasks
 Shows interest in the subject
 Enjoys helping others

Question/Statement Verbs:

Answers, assists, complies, conforms, discusses, greets, helps, labels, performs, practices,
presents, reads, recites, tells, reports, selects, writes

3. VALUING: is concerned with the worth or value a student attaches to a particular object,
phenomenon, or behavior. This ranges in degree from the simpler acceptance of a value (desires
to improve group skills) to the more complex level of commitment (assumes responsibility for
the effective functioning of the group). Valuing is based on the internalization of a set of
specified values, but clues to these values are expressed in the student’s overt behavior that is
consistent and stable enough to make the value clearly identifiable. Instructional objectives that
are commonly classified under attitudes and appreciation would fall into this category.

Descriptive Activities:

 Demonstrates belief in the democratic process

 Appreciates good literature
 Appreciates the role of science in everyday life
 Shows concern for the welfare of others
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 Demonstrates problem solving attitude

 Demonstrates commitment to social improvement

Question/Statement Verbs:

Completes, describes, differentiates, explains, follows, forms, initiates, invites, joins, justifies,
proposes, reads, reports, selects, shares, studies, works

4. ORGANIZATION: is concerned with bringing together values, resolving conflicts between

them, and beginning the building of an internally consistent value system. Thus the emphasis is
on comparing, relating, and synthesizing values. Learning outcomes may be concerned with the
conceptualization of a value (recognizes the responsibility of each individual for improving
human relations) or with the organization of a value system (develops a vocational plan that
satisfies his need for both economic security and social service). Instructional objectives relating
to the development of a philosophy of life would fall into this category.

Descriptive Activities:

 Recognizes the need for balance between freedom and responsibility in a

democracy
 Recognizes the role of systematic planning in problem solving
 Accepts responsibility for own behavior
 Understands and accepts own strengths and weaknesses
 Formulates a life plan in harmony with his abilities, interests, and beliefs

Question/Statement Verbs:

Adheres, alters, arranges, combines, compares, completes, defends, explains, generalizes,

identifies, integrates, modifies, orders, organizes, prepares, relates, synthesizes

5. CHARACTERIZATION BY A VALUE OR VALUE COMPLEX: at this level of the

affective domain, the individual has a value system that has controlled his behavior for a
sufficiently long time for him to develop a characteristic life style. Thus the behavior is
pervasive, consistent, and predictable. Learning outcomes at this level cover a broad range of
activities, but the major emphasis is on the fact that the behavior is typical or characteristic of the
student. Instructional objectives that are concerned with the student’s general patterns of
adjustment (personal, social, emotional) would be appropriate here.

Descriptive Activities:

 Displays safety consciousness

 Demonstrates self reliance in working independently
 Practices cooperation in-group activities
 Uses objective approach in problem solving
 Demonstrates industry and self discipline
 Maintains good health habits
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Question/Statement Verbs:

Acts, discriminates, displays, influences, listens, modifies, per forms, practices, pro poses,
qualifies, questions, revises, serves, solves, uses, verifies

Psychomotor Domain:

Bloom And Harrow

1. PERCEPTION: the first level is concerned with the use of the sense organs to obtain cues
that guide motor activity. This category ranges from sensory stimulation (awareness of a
stimulus), through cue selection (selection task relevant cues) to translation (relating cue
perception to action in performance).

Descriptive Activities:

 Recognizes malfunction by sound of machine

 Relates taste of food to need for seasoning
 Relates music to a particular dance movement

Question/Statement Verbs:

Chooses, describes, detects, differentiates, distinguishes, identifies, isolates, relates, selects,

separates

2. SET: refers to readiness to take a particular type of action. This category includes mental set
(mental readiness to act), physical set (physical readiness to act), and emotional set (willingness
to act). Perception of cues serves as an important prerequisite for this level.

Descriptive Activities:

 Knows mechanical sequence of steps in varnishing wood

 Demonstrates proper bodily stance for batting a ball
 Show desire to type efficiently by placement of hands and body

Question/Statement Verbs:

Begins, displays, explains, moves, proceeds, reacts, responds, shows, starts, volunteers

3. GUIDED RESPONSE: is concerned with the early stages in learning a complex skill. It
includes imitation (repeating an act demonstrated by the instructor) and trial and error (using a
multiple response approach to identify an appropriate response). Adequacy of performance is
judged by an instructor or by a suitable set of criteria.

Descriptive Activities:
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 Performs a golf swing as demonstrated

 Applies first aid bandage as demonstrated
 Determines best physical manipulation of objects in a sequence for preparing a
meal

Question/Statement Verbs:

Assembles, builds, calibrates, constructs, dismantles, displays, dissects, fastens, fixes, grinds,
heats, manipulates, measures, mends, organizes, sketches

4. MECHANISM: is concerned with performance acts where the learned responses have
become habitual and the movements can be performed with some confidence and proficiency.
Learning outcomes at this level are concerned with performance skills of various types, but the
movement patterns are less complex than at the next higher level.

Descriptive Activities:

 Writes smoothly and legibly

 Sets up laboratory equipment
 Operates a slide projector
 Demonstrates a simple dance step

Question/Statement Verbs:

(Same list as for guided response)

5. COMPLEX OVERT RESPONSE: is concerned with the skillful performance of motor acts
that involve complex movement patterns. Proficiency is indicated by a quick, smooth, accurate
performance, requiring a minimum of energy. The category includes resolution of uncertainty
(performs without hesitation) and automatic performance (movements are made with ease and
good muscle control). Learning outcomes at this level include highly coordinated motor
activities.

Descriptive Activities:

 Operates a power saw skillfully

 Demonstrates correct form in swimming
 Demonstrates skill in driving an automobile
 Performs skillfully on the violin
 Repairs electronic equipment quickly and accurately

Question/Statement Verbs:

(Same list as for guided response)

SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

6. ADAPTATION: is concerned with skills that are so well developed that the individual can
modify movement patterns to fit special requirements or to meet a problem situation.

Descriptive Activities:

 Adjusts tennis play to counteract opponent’s style

 Modifies swimming strokes to fit the roughness of the water

Question/Statement Verbs:

Adapts, alters, changes, rearranges, reorganizes, revises, varies

7. ORIGINATION: refers to the creating of a new movement pattern to fit a particular situation
or specific problem. Learning outcomes at this level emphasize creativity based upon highly
developed skills.

Descriptive Activities:

 Creates a dance step

 Creates a musical composition
 Designs a new dress style

Q#3

Explain outcome based assessment criteria. Give suitable examples from the science
subjects.

Outcomes-based courses and assessment criteria

The outcomes-based approach to teaching and learning is increasingly being used in higher
education as the model for best practice in constructing courses and evaluating students' work.
Learn more about this approach with this simple, practical guide to building your own outcomes-
based programmes.

Developing outcomes-based learning programmes

The outcomes-based approach to course design is intended to make the expectations of the
designer/educator more transparent to both the student and any regulatory or accrediting body.
Unlike the traditional model of course design in higher education, where the lecturer would
decide what to include on a syllabus, based on his or her own judgement of what was important
for students to know; or on personal research or other interests; the outcomes-based approach
starts with a specification of what the student will be expected to achieve by the end of the unit.
 SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

These learning outcomes may be of knowledge acquisition, mastery of skills, or development of

attitude or ability. All the different outcomes expected will be specified in publicly shared
statements and these will be linked in a clear way to explicit assessment criteria by which they
will be measured. The programme is then written; complete with assessments designed to test the
criteria, in such a way as to enable students to work towards achieving the stated outcomes.

The outcomes-based approach has been developed in conjunction with credit-based modular
frameworks in which each unit carries a specified number of credits, awarded on its successful
completion. In order to achieve the desired qualification, the student must amass a given number
of credits, usually in stated proportions from different levels.

The Principles of Outcomes-based Course Design

1. All learning can be expressed as demonstrable outcomes to be achieved.
2. All units are described in terms of their learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
3. The type and number of learning outcomes and assessment criteria form the basis for
assigning a number of credits and a level to a particular unit.
4. For this reason, no unit can be assigned to more than one level.
5. Learning outcomes need to be clear and unambiguous.
6. Learning outcomes set out the necessary learning, which represents the minimum requirement
for a pass grade on the unit.
7. Assessment criteria should specify how a satisfactory performance of the learning outcomes
will be demonstrated.
8. Assessment criteria should be designed to ensure that learning takes place at a level
appropriate to the assigned unit level.
9. Learning outcomes should contribute to the transparency of the overall qualification gained by
enabling students, parents, prospective employers and other educational professionals to
understand exactly what has been learned in order to achieve a passing grade.
10. This will facilitate student and graduate mobility, internationally, and in a life-long learning
context.
Adapted from How to Use Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria (David Gosling and
Jenny Moon, SEEC, 2002)

A programme can be described by a specification written in terms of programme outcomes

similar to the learning outcomes specified for the individual units within it. These larger
outcomes are more general and they may not be specifically assessed as part of the course of
study but they act as guides in establishing the ethos and direction of the programme. Where the
programme aims for validation or accreditation to some larger standard, the programme
specification should reflect the requirements of that standard and make reference to available
benchmarks.
 SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Writing good learning outcomes

The precision and appropriateness of the learning outcomes are the keys to successful
implementation and assessment of outcomes-based programmes of study. Learning outcomes
specify what the student is expected to know, understand or be able to accomplish by the end of
any given unit of study, therefore they form the basis for all assessment of that learning and for
any quality assurance checks, benchmarking or inspection exercise carried out on the unit.

Learning outcomes should not be confused with the aims and objectives of the unit. The two are
subtly different. Aims are stated in terms of what is to be taught, and what the intention is behind
that teaching; learning outcomes state what the student is expected to learn and have an
implication for the standard he or she is expected to attain in order to pass the unit.

For these reasons, it vitally important to ensure that the learning outcomes set for a unit are as
well-constructed and clearly written as possible. When drawing up these expected outcomes,
they need to be:

1. Achievable
The outcome must realistically set out what all students are expected to learn over the time
period specified. This needs to be appropriate to the existing knowledge and abilities of
students who are eligible to take this unit; and to the specified level the unit occupies within
the overall programme (first year undergraduate, second year diploma, taught master's, etc.).
 SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

All learning outcomes should, in principle, be achievable by all students at that level of the
programme.
2. Over-arching
Learning outcomes do not specify areas of the curriculum but rather, the areas of general
learning expected of the students. The outcomes sought are over-arching and do not match the
headings or topics of a syllabus, nor should each curriculum area taught have a matching
learning outcome.
3. Unambiguous
As far as possible, learning outcomes need to be clear, sharp and unambiguous. Each outcome
specified should be capable of only one single interpretation.
4. Understandable
Linked to unambiguity is the requirement that learning outcomes be easily understood by all
those who will be expected to use them. This group includes students, teaching and inspection
staff, potential and current employers, etc. so use of technical or jargon-heavy language should
be avoided and the outcomes expressed in the simplest manner possible.
5. Important
Every learning outcome specified should refer to a significant achievement expected of the
student on completion of the unit. This may not represent an exhaustive totality of what the
student has actually learned but should include all those features of importance.
6. Assessable
In order to determine whether learning outcomes have been achieved, they need to be capable
of being assessed by a suitably qualified person, by some reasonable and manageable means,
within the time-frame allowed by the programme or institution's regulations. Assessments
should be designed so that all the learning outcomes are tested for all students. This often
means setting more than one piece of assessed work per unit, and may require the
development of different forms of assessment in order to cover all the different types of
learning outcome specified.
7. Essential
All the learning outcomes for a unit must be achieved in order for the student to successfully
complete that unit. The learning outcomes set out the minimum requirements for passing the
unit. Additional 'desirable' outcomes can be specified as part of a grading scheme, allowing
students to gain higher marks but these are not the learning outcomes for the unit. It is
important to recognize that this approach to developing programmes separates grading of
students' work from assessment of whether they have passed or failed to achieve. Learning
outcomes are the baseline criteria for passing the unit.

In practical terms, a well written learning outcome will follow the following guidelines:

 It will be expressed in a single, simple sentence

 It will contain a verb that what the student is expected to be able to do at the end of the unit
 It will indicate on what or with what the student will be acting; or, in the case of a skill-based
outcome, the way in which that skill is to be performed
 It will indicate what sort of performance is required of the student as evidence that the learning
has been achieved
 SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 It will use vocabulary and concepts appropriate to the broader requirements of the program
level at which the unit is pitched.

Q#4

Scientific attitude among science students is rare, how can we develop this attitude among
the secondary school science students in our local environment?

Difference in Attitude towards Science Learning on Basis of Gender, Locality,

Grade, School Type, Paternal Education, Profession and Private Tuition

When attitude towards science and science learning was studied from the perspective of
gender, four major categories were found between male and female respondents, i.e., male has
more favourable attitude towards science than female students, female students showed higher
attitude towards science learning, male and female students do not differ significantly in their
attitude towards science learning, and, on the same scale, male students have better attitude
towards science learning on some factors and on other factors female students had better
attitude towards science learning.
Gardner (1975) documented gender as the most important single variable related to attitude
to science. Smail and Kelly (1984) reported the remarkable differences in liking for different
branches of science between male and female students at the end of elementary school. Simpson
and Oliver (1990) found that males frequently better scores on the sub-scales that measures
attitude towards science than female students, but still argues that both genders believe and
perform same way regarding science as a subject. Similarly, Crawley and Coe (1990) also
reported in favour of males over female students while comparing their attitude towards science

learning. Finding, from a meta-analysis by Weinburgh‘s (1995), reveals that high

performing
females had a more positive attitude than male students of the same group.
Houtz (1995) found no significant difference in attitude among male and female
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

students. Johanson (1997) reports differential item functioning between the genders in an
attitude to science measure. In an Irish context, Francis and Greer (1999) found that while
boys and girls did not differ in their opinion of the importance of science, boys had a more
positive attitude to science in the school curriculum and to science as a career. In general,
studies have reported that males have more favourable attitude than females, but a minority of
studies exist in which no difference was found between them.
A small number of studies have reported on locality and grade of the respondents.
Urban schools respondents were marginally better in their attitude than rural schools
respondents (Zacharia & Barton, 2004). So school‘s locality does not seem to be a significant
predictor of attitude towards science learning. Ormerod and Duckworth (1975); Brown,
(1976); Goodwin, Hardiman and Rees (1981); and Francis and Greer (1999) have reported
that students’ attitude towards science decreases with an increase in grade of individuals.
Similarly, Hadden and Johnstone (1983) have also reported a decline in attitude towards
science at the secondary school level. But Ye, Raymonds, Susan and Hanxia (1998) reported
that attitude has no direct relationship with a change in grade.
Parental education, occupation and involvement with their children’s studies were also
found to play a very important role in the development of attitude towards science (George &
Kaplin, 1998; Wang & Wildman, 1995) but Banu (1986) in his research in Nigerian schools
reported no significant effect of parental education on students’ attitude towards science and
science learning. Schwirian and Thomson (1972) had reported that the level of mother and
father’s education has a relationship with attitude towards science learning. No research was
found regarding effect of private tuition on attitude towards science learning either in
international and national perspectives.
The results of above studies vary from each other slightly and sometimes largely, and it
seems that researchers are not still sure to claim that what factor(s) really influence students’
attitude towards science or attitude towards science learning. One of the major reasons is that
the samples greatly differ from each other on the basis of demographic variables, like parental
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

education and occupation, socio-economic status, cultural and geographical scenario. So it is

very important to consider demographic variables while reporting any findings of the research.

Science is one of those human activities that man has created to gratify certain human needs and
desires. The primary goal of education should be the intellectual development of the individual.
With its accelerating importance in our society science has become an increasingly important
part of general knowledge. Scientific education is best fostered as a part of a general emphasis on
intellectual activity. The students of Secondary course studying in Schools just enter the
adolescent stage, which is a stage of stress and storm. In this period, they must be properly
guided and counseled, otherwise there arises the problem of maladjustment. If the adolescents
are once properly guided and aroused right educational aspirations, they will excel in all aspects
of life and education. Governments have been spending crores on Higher Secondary education.
But the results are not in proportion to the expenditure incurred. Only nearly 40 to 60 percent of
the students are successful, this too from the contribution of private Schools. In other words, two
thirds of the educational expenditure is squandered away for nothing. The results of this study
will help the educational planners, teachers and students to modify the present state of affairs as
many students fail in Secondary school level.

Scientific Attitude Singh (1988), Scientific Attitude is defined as a set of emotionally toned ideas
about science, scientific methods and related directly or indirectly to the course of action in the
literature of science education. The term Scientific Attitude applies such qualities of mind as
intellectual curiosity, passion for truth, respect for evidences, and appreciation of the necessity of
free communication in science. Thus, scientific attitude is open-mindedness; a desire for accurate
knowledge, confidence in procedures, seeking knowledge and expectation that solution of the
problem will come out through the use of verified knowledge. Science attitude is an opinion or
position taken with respect to a psychological object in the field of science. According to Sekar,
P and Mani, S (2013), science attitude is normally associated with the mental processes. These
habits are important in the daily life of everyone. Scientific attitudes possess attributes thought to
be either false and do not express an evaluative quality. The teacher bears the responsibility of
developing scientific attitude among students. Without scientific attitude aims of science cannot
be attained (Sharma, 2005). Scientific attitude, now days, is found to be lacking even in highly
educated persons, teachers and students. This is a hindrance in the path of acquiring knowledge.
The teachers and students need to have a scientific outlook. They must make themselves free
from false beliefs and irrational thinking.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Role of Science Teacher in Developing Scientific Attitude among Secondary School

Students OBJECTIVES 1. To now the opinion of science teacher about the different
characteristics thathelp in developing scientific attitude among secondary school students. 2. To
study the opinion of science teacher about the role of teaching facilities and training programs in
inculcating the scientific attitude among secondary school students. 3. To compare the opinion of
Govt. and private schools. HYPOTHESIS 1. Teacher with scientific temper and scientific bend
of mind develops scientific attitude among secondary school students. 2. Available of teaching
facilities and training, programmers enhances teacher’s role in developing scientific attitude
among secondary school students. 3. There is no difference in the opinion of Government of
Private schools teachers about the role of developing scientific attitude among the students.

VARIABLES
INDEPENDENTVARIABLE
1. Scientific attitude

DEPENDENT VARIABLE
1. Achievement

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1. The study is limited to secondary school Science Teacher.
2. The study in limited to Government & Private schools (English medium).
3. The study is limited.

METHODOLOGY
SAMPLE
A sample of 50 science teachers was selected from 20 schools of Khammam District (10
private &10 Govt. English medium High schools only).

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
In the present study random sampling method was used which mean that every member of
the sample is selected from the total population in such a manner that all members of the
population have essentially the same probability selected. It is an unbiased cross section of
the population.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

The researcher personality visited the schools and administered the Opinionnaires to each of
the respondent, butting the Rapport with them and explained them about the study and
clarified their doubts if they had any regarding the Opinionnaires.

DATA ANALYSIS
For the study the observer has chosen the appropriate statistical technique for data analysis.

STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED

The results are calculated based on the frequency and percentage

RESULTS & MAJOR FINDINGS

Most of the teachers opined positively for the statement which had a five point scale (SA, A, U,
D, SD). The science teachers agreed and strongly agreed for the statements that a teacher role is
very important in building up the student’s scientific attitude by possessing the following
characteristics.

1. The science teacher should work towards knowledge achievement of the students and also
their scientific attitude development.

2. The teacher must first possess a scientific attitude. 3. Scientific attitude of the pupils depend a
mainly on science teacher
4. The development of scientific attitude is not a difficult task by the teacher.
5. Relating science to all other areas, of learning is helpful in developing scientific attitude.

6. Other subject’s teacher can also develop scientific attitude 7. The science teacher can also
develop scientific attitude.
8. Scientist’s lives have an impact on child’s attitude towards the subjects.

CONCLUSION The researcher found that teachers support that teachers with a scientific a
bend and a scientific temper can successfully develop scientific attitude in secondary school
students.Thus, it can be concluding that the science teacher has an importune role to play in
molding the child’s scientific attitude, a teacher therefore should be Unbiased, broad minded,
Non-superstitious, avoid exaggerations, and adapt planned procedures for doing work.Teacher
should train the students to transfer their learning to daily life situations and should relate
science to other disciplines. Certain reforms should also be made in the present curriculum like.
a) Unnecessary details and topics not interesting to the students should be deleted. b) Moe
provisions for teaching science subjects practically should be planned and laboratory work, filed
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

work (marks weight ages) should be given c) There should be separate teacher’s hand book for
guide teachers in classification concepts and showing experiments. d) In service training should
be provide to secondary school science teachers to orient them towards teaching science
inductively. Workshop, in science experiments, if held, will go a long way and guiding the
teachers to show experiments in class with ease, confidence and precision.

Q#5
Discuss in detail the factors affecting students’ assessment.

Factors that influence child and school-based assessment The challenge: While the assessments
used in school settings have varying degrees of standardization and psychometric properties,
most have more than acceptable levels of reliability and validity. So, when used appropriately
with fidelity, assessments can be expected to provide useable information about students.
However, in addition to whether standardized testing is a good indicator of student performance,
there is also debate on whether certain aspects in life—physical, mental, or situational—affect
students’ assessment results. When working with educators, it is important that Clinicians and
School Psychologists have a firm understanding of these factors in order to more accurately
communicate the results obtained from assessment and other measures of student performance
and behavior.

Exams are very important; no educational system can be completed without a proper assessment
system whether it is through written examination or by oral sessions. Teachers cannot judge a
student’s performance without it. The academic results are prepared after several sessions of
written and oral tests and students have to clear them under any circumstances. Any student who
is unable to attempt these tests is declared incapable of promoting to next standard.
There are predefined objectives/goals which students have to achieve to progress to next level
and certainly, it is not possible without a proper assessment. The study shows that no matter how
reliable an assessment process is, there are certain factors which affect assessment results and
many of them are uncontrollable. Due to this certain reason, assessment results are sometimes
not reliable when teachers know that there are some issues which are influencing their class’s
result. At different educational levels, these factors have been judged and discussed for the
betterment of student’s performance. We are stating here a few factors which affect assessment
results.
 Some students cannot perform quite well when there is a change in examination pattern
right at the assessment’s time. They find themselves confused and unable to attempt
questions like they were supposed to do. This factor can be controlled if there is a
consistency in the examination system.
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

 Sometimes students use their financial resources to get good marks while some other
students cannot do so. For example, a student gets help from online assignment writing
services where professional write their assignments and they score A grade without any
effort. There are some fellow students who do not have enough resources to use such
services so it affects their CGP.
 There are biological factors which are important when collecting assessment results and a
teacher must know about them. For example, physical and mental age/health of the
student, physical impairments like hearing, seeing and speech in capability, diseases,
sleep deprivation, legal and illegal use of medication and many other factors are enlisted
in this category. There are a few factors that can be controlled like drug addiction,
depression control, and a few diseases but a few other like physical disabilities are
uncontrollable.
 University additionally assumes an essential part in every student life for accomplishing
better Grades. According to Ignou Result, it has been observed that their instructor’s and
university strictly monitors their understudy’s education which helps their students in
achieving better grades.
 There is another major factor which has been affecting assessment result and that is a lack
of guidance. Some students which unluckily get into a class where the teacher is not that
efficient, it will cause a negative effect on their performance. Same is the case with the
part of guidance which they might be getting from their parents. All of the parents are not
able to help their kids with their studies. It also decreases the chances of getting high
grades.
All of the above-given factors are considered as the major obstacles for getting accurate
assessment results. This scenario can be changed to a large extent if we can control the
changeable factors. It is not a single sided contribution; a student, his parents, his fellows, and
teachers, all can take part to do good to our assessment system.

Physical factors
• Age level—The chronological age of a student is typically accounted for in test or assessment
form selection

• Developmental level—Should be considered if a student is developmentally delayed or

advanced when comparing to same-age cohorts
• Physical disabilities—Hearing loss, visual impairment, motor ability, etc.
• General health condition Had the student eaten that day?
Did the student get enough sleep? Is there a history of substance abuse?
What is their receptive and expressive language ability?
Is the child on medication or off his/her normal medication?
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Is the student suffering from cold, flu, allergies, or other condition?

Mental/behavioral factors What is the student’s:

• Motivation level
• School learning ability level
• Special Ed, IEP, or 504 accommodations
• Activity/attention level (e.g., impulsive, distracted, etc.)
• Cognitive level (developmentally delayed or advanced)
• Specific mental health history (including comorbid or previous diagnoses, past trauma)

• Behavior (e.g., agitated, noncompliant, aggressive, shy, withdrawn, compulsive, anxious,

frustrated, insecure, rejected, etc.)

Home factors
• Is the child homeless?
• Is the child in foster care?
• Is the child a member of a migrant family?
• Are there cultural differences?
• Does the student have a stable home life, or have they had a recent change at home?
• Do the parents support assessment? Do they have issues with assessments and tests?
• Is the student a native speaker of another language, is he/she bilingual, or is the primary home
language not English?

• Do the parent(s) or caregiver take an interest in their child’s education or do they have an issue
with education?

School factors
• Does the student feel safe and/or connected at school?
• Does the student have a history of chronic absenteeism?
• Was there a fire drill or other unplanned emergency drill?
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

• Is the student markedly over- or under-age for the grade?

• Does the student have cultural support or disconnection?
• What is the student’s level of socialization and peer support?
• How well does the student relate to teachers and other school professionals?
• Was the child pulled from a class or school event he/she enjoys for the session?

• What is the testing environment (e.g., classroom or office lighting, noise level, temperature,
amount of interruptions)?

Rater/teacher/clinician factors
• Cultural differences > Language differences? > Implicit basis?
• Rapport and management skills
• Previous experience with the student > Amount and frequency
• Physical and mental state of the tester
• Fidelity to assessment qualifications and instructions
• Familiarity with the testing environment and test materials
• Interpretation experience/knowledge (e.g., discrepancy analysis, growth scale values, etc.)

Scalability

One of the most important qualities of a good assessment is that it can scale. In other words, you
want it to be able to handle thousands of assessments at once. This is the whole purpose of online
assessments. You need to be able to control testing remotely and in larger numbers than you can
do in the physical world. The ability of assessments to scale up to what you expect is a key to
having a reusable testing platform.

Data Security

Another chief factor in assessment longevity is the level of security that you have within your
testing assessment methods. With so many students or job applicants with information in the
database, you will want to make sure that it is secure. Remember that the more you scale up, the
more you will need to increase the security level. This keeps all testers and their data safe from
third parties and lowers the risk of data loss.
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Reliability & Validity

Another test of credibility when it comes to finding assessments that work over the long-term is
their reliability and validity. Both of these testing qualities are considered important by the
educational world on both the primary and post-secondary levels. A good assessment should
have both of these qualities to prove itself over time.

Reliability is the ability of a test to render reliable results over time. For example, if a test shows
that a candidate or student is skilled at the computer or technical skills, and they were to take the
test over again three months later, it should render similar results. This means the measurement
could be used again later and still be considered a valid measure of what you are trying to test.
Validity is slightly different than reliability and addresses how much a test assesses what it is
supposed to. This involves looking at specific test questions and scrutinizing what the questions
are asking so that the test provides the right information needed for the purpose of the
assessment.
Strong UI

Lean UI and UX are terms often used in hardware and app design to mean that the products
should have a high level of user-friendliness and a user-friendly interface. The design and the
format of a test are important. But it is most important how the user interacts with the systems
you have in place and whether they are comfortable taking your tests. The navigation, search,
and data accessibility should all be equally easy to use. If your user experience is a positive one,
you are going to be more likely to reuse the tests over time than if users are frustrated with the
process.

Adequate Categorization

Categorization is any important component in any well-organized assessment. If it is an

academic evaluation, it should be categorized by subjects or topics. If it is an assessment for job
applicants, the categories would likely span the various topics or skill areas that they might
encounter on the job for which they are applying. Find an assessment system that allows you to
have multiple options in categories so that you can design the test to fit your institution’s needs
and goals.

Grading & Feedback Options

In addition to the other attributes, a good assessment should offer a sound way to grade the tests.
Feedback should also be accessible and valuable to the test-taker. In HR and talent recruiting, for
example, one purpose of the test may be to weed out less desirable candidates. But it may also be
for the purpose of retraining or correcting current employees. So a good test of longevity needs
to address both of these things.
SUMBAL FAIZI BY650052

Versatility

Another factor that affects an assessment’s longevity is its versatility. The ability of a test to be
used in some situations and purposes is more likely to be valuable to your organization than one
that you can only use one time. Versatility also means that the test applies to some different
contexts, including new applicants, current employees, mid-level managers, and entry-level
workers as well.

Customizable Features

Finally, if a test is going to be valuable over the long term, it needs to be customizable. Since
there are so many different contexts and subgroups an organization may need to test at different
times, you need to be able to change the input information so that it is adaptable to new
situations, as they arise. This allows business managers to keep control of their testing process,
as well as schools and colleges. By having a customizable test solution, you will be able to
maintain the control at the top while changing the data and test questions as needed to fit the
context.