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Assessing students’ reflective responses to chemistry-related learning tasks
Citation
Tan, K. S., & Goh, N. K. (2008, September 7-12). Assessing students’ reflective responses to chemistry-related learning tasks [Paper presentation]. 34th Annual Conference of the International Association of Educational Assessment (IAEA) on “Re-interpreting Assessment Society, Measurement and Meaning”, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Abstract
Key to renewed concern on the affective domain of education (Fensham, 2007) and on school graduates’ readiness for a world of work (DEST, 2006; WDA, 2006) is the student’s inclination-to-reflect when engaged in a learning or problem-solving task. Reflective learning and assessment are not new to education (Dewey, 1933; Ellis, 2001). Since the inclination-to-reflect may not be strong even for adults at work (Seibert & Daudelin, 1999), what more can educators expect from school students? This paper presents part of a research on secondary school students’ inclination-to-reflect while engaged in chemistry learning tasks. The instrument used is the three-part Chemistry Learning and Thinking Instrument, or CLTI. The first part seeks to characterize students’ inclination-to-reflect while attempting chemistry learning tasks and the other parts aim to characterize their learningthinking preferences in the subject. This paper shares the construction of the learning tasks and how students’ reflective responses to these tasks are encouraged, scored and analyzed. Since assessment is said to drive teaching and learning, an alternative form of assessment, such as these CLTI items, may help students become more reflective in their learning habits and hence more adaptable to the world of work.
Date Issued
September 2008
Description
This paper was presented at the 34th Annual Conference of the International Association of Educational Assessment (IAEA) on “Re-interpreting Assessment Society, Measurement and Meaning”, held in Cambridge, United Kingdom from 7 - 12 Sep 2008