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Comparing performance assessment, classroom practices and students'/teachers' attitudes and beliefs in six countries
Author
Khoo, Tse Horng
Supervisor
Boo, Hong Kwen
Toh, Kok Aun
Abstract
Science education has always been treated in schools and society as an important subject in schools. Only better performing students are selected to the 'science stream'. Singapore has been moving towards being a hub for IT, life sciences and education. This implies that education in Singapore must not only be a means for providing skills for employment but also to attract foreign students and scholars. Singapore has to be at the cutting edge of education in this region and beyond. Science education therefore will have an important part in this whole economy.
Singapore topped in Science and Mathematics in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Will this be an evidence that Singapore students are not as some thought, examination-smart but actually able to exercise higher order thinking skills in their mathematics and science problem-solving? Performance assessment being often regarded as requiring higher order thinking skills, as oppose to multiple choice questions and written tests. In view of this argument, this study examines the performance assessment component in TIMSS. Singapore again topped in the science performance assessment component for population two (ages 13 to 14). In order to provide better understanding, the achievement is compared with five other countries. The remaining countries come from the East, West and Middle East. From the East is Hong Kong, from the West are England, Switzerland and the United States, and from the Middle East is Israel. This comparison will provide a platform to have a glimpse of the influence of culture on education.
Besides the achievement in performance assessment, teachers' and students' attitudes and pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices are examined to study if there are any relationships between these variables and achievement.
The study found that there is no significant relationship between any single variable and the performance. However, there are positive correlations between motivation and cognitive demands. Singapore students are motivated to do well in science and both teachers and students perceived science as a cognitively demanding subject. There is also a very clear eastern pedagogy versus western pedagogy. The difference lies in the position on the continuum of teacher-centred and student-centred teaching. With Hong Kong and Singapore on the teacher-centred end and England, Switzerland and the United States on the other end.
Singapore teachers need to move towards a balanced position as both eastern and western pedagogies have their merits. The study recommends a purposeful design on homework since curriculum demands constrain the teachers to use student-centred teaching on a regular basis. It appears that Singapore system of having a central body, that designs, plans, coordinates and monitors the curriculum contributes to Singapore's good performance in TIMSS.
Singapore topped in Science and Mathematics in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Will this be an evidence that Singapore students are not as some thought, examination-smart but actually able to exercise higher order thinking skills in their mathematics and science problem-solving? Performance assessment being often regarded as requiring higher order thinking skills, as oppose to multiple choice questions and written tests. In view of this argument, this study examines the performance assessment component in TIMSS. Singapore again topped in the science performance assessment component for population two (ages 13 to 14). In order to provide better understanding, the achievement is compared with five other countries. The remaining countries come from the East, West and Middle East. From the East is Hong Kong, from the West are England, Switzerland and the United States, and from the Middle East is Israel. This comparison will provide a platform to have a glimpse of the influence of culture on education.
Besides the achievement in performance assessment, teachers' and students' attitudes and pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices are examined to study if there are any relationships between these variables and achievement.
The study found that there is no significant relationship between any single variable and the performance. However, there are positive correlations between motivation and cognitive demands. Singapore students are motivated to do well in science and both teachers and students perceived science as a cognitively demanding subject. There is also a very clear eastern pedagogy versus western pedagogy. The difference lies in the position on the continuum of teacher-centred and student-centred teaching. With Hong Kong and Singapore on the teacher-centred end and England, Switzerland and the United States on the other end.
Singapore teachers need to move towards a balanced position as both eastern and western pedagogies have their merits. The study recommends a purposeful design on homework since curriculum demands constrain the teachers to use student-centred teaching on a regular basis. It appears that Singapore system of having a central body, that designs, plans, coordinates and monitors the curriculum contributes to Singapore's good performance in TIMSS.
Date Issued
2003
Call Number
Q181 Kho
Date Submitted
2003