The Assessment of Science Learning in Schools in Hong Kong: the status quo and future directions

Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 1, Issue 2, Article 2 (Dec., 2000)
CHENG May Hung, May; SO Wing Mui, Winnie; CHEUNG Wing Ming, Francis
The Assessment of Science Learning in Schools in Hong Kong: the status quo and future directions

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Supporting teachers to shift their practice from an emphasis on summative to formative assessment
Having identified the possible range of formative assessment activities in science classes and illustrated how both formative and summative assessment activities may contribute to the teaching and learning process in a teaching unit, suggestions on the support needed to facilitate such a shift in the light of assessment have to be considered. In relating teachers' competence towards assessment, Sadler (1998) suggested six aspects, including teachers' knowledge about the subject, attitudes towards learner and learning; skill in devising students' work; knowledge about the criteria and standard; skill and expertise in similar assessment tasks and expertise in providing appropriate and targeted feedback. Concerning formative assessment, Daws and Singh (1999) related that teachers found it hard to develop formative assessment strategies in face of pressures from summative examinations, were unsure of formative assessment strategies, and would welcome support for developing formative assessment approaches. Moreover, Black (1998a, 1998b) has repeatedly called for policy revisions that support formative assessment with an aim to raise the standards of learning. He also noted that this shift of teachers' practices calls for changes in more fundamental beliefs about learning among the teachers. The assumption that knowledge is to be transmitted and learned and understanding developed later has to be changed. He remarked that this change is social as well as personal. While Hong Kong has taken the first step in policy revision, the second step will be a long process of changing teachers' beliefs and practices which requires much professional support and development (Black, 1998a). This paper is then set out to examine the present scenario and how much teachers' beliefs match the proposed changes in assessment policies ahead.