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Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 11, Issue 1, Article 9
(Jun., 2010) |
Table I gives the distribution of 876 questions according to school type and to cognitive level. Only about 27.5 per cent of the questions asked were at the higher levels of cognitive domain (analysis, synthesis and evaluation levels). On the other hand, about 20.2 per cent of the questions were at low levels: 6.3 per cent at the knowledge and 13.9 per cent at the comprehension level. The other 52.3 per cent were at the application level. These conclusions are also supported by previous work which demonstrated that most traditional examinations are of the LOCS type (Hand, Prain & Wallace, 2002; Nakhleh, 1993; Zoller, 1993; Çepni et al., 2003; Karamustafaoglu et al., 2003; Köğce, 2005).
Table I Distribution of Exam Questions According to School Type and Cognitive Level.
School Types
OHS
VCHS
AHS
SHS
Total
Question Levels
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
Knowledge
33
9.6
20
8.9
-
0.0
2
1.2
55
6.3
Comprehension
77
22.4
29
12.8
2
1.5
14
8.1
122
13.9
Application
171
49.7
147
65.0
56
42.1
84
48.4
458
52.3
Analysis
26
7.6
8
3.5
63
47.4
50
28.9
147
16.8
Synthesis
33
9.6
20
8.9
8
6.0
19
11.0
80
9.1
Evaluation
4
1.1
2
0.9
4
3.0
4
2.4
14
1.6
Total
344
226
133
173
876
Questions asked are related to school types: the observed χ2 statistic assumes the value 207.36, which exceeds the critical value (37.69) (p < .001). Questions at the knowledge level were especially asked at OHS and VCHS. These types of questions were rarely asked at AHS and SHS. Comprehension level questions were asked mostly at Ordinary High Schools (OHS). On the other hand, the application level questions were asked more at VCHS (in order that it is a school that bases on practice). Finally, questions at analysis, synthesis and evaluation levels, which require students to think scientifically, were rarely asked at all at OHS and VCHS; in addition, these types of questions were mostly used in AHS and SHS. It is evident that AHS and SHS teachers tend to set more HOCS-type questions, while the teachers in the other types of schools tend to set LOCS-type questions. It is worth noting that it has been found that the students who were successful in university entrance exams were especially graduated from AHS (Köse, 1999) and SHS. This may be due to the high success of the AHS and SHS students in the OSS exams. Figure 1 shows graphically this percentage of high schools physics questions level.
Figure 1 Examining The School Physics Questions Levels According to Their Cognitive Level.
OSS physics questions were examined according to their levels of cognitive progress and frequencies of cognitive level of questions were calculated and are presented in Table II as of years.
Table II Distribution of The OSS Physics Questions According to The Cognitive Level as to Years.
Years
2000*
2001*
2002*
2003*
2004
2005
Total
Questins Level
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
f
%
Knowledge
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
Comprehension
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
5.3
0
0.0
3
15.7
0
0.0
4
3.5
Application
9
47.4
10
52.6
12
63.1
12
63.1
4
21.2
5
26.3
52
45.6
Analysis
10
52.6
7
36.8
5
26.3
5
26.3
9
47.4
13
68.4
49
43.0
Synthesis
0
0.0
2
10.6
1
5.3
1
5.3
0
0.0
0
0.0
4
3.5
Evaluation
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
5.3
3
15.7
1
5.3
5
4.4
Total
19
19
19
19
19
19
114
*Azar(2005)
When researchers have examined the OSS questions between the years of 2000–2005, as seen in Table II, it is observed that 3.5 per cent were at comprehension level, 45.6 per cent at application level, 43.0 per cent at analysis level, 3.5 per cent at synthesis level and 4.4 per cent at evaluation level. Figure 2 shows graphically this percentage of OSS physics questions level.
Figure 2 Examining OSS Physics Questions Levels According to Their Cognitive Development Level
An analysis was performed on OSS physics questions and high school physics questions according to levels of LOCS. The resuls are given in Table III.
Table III Analysis OSS Physics Questions and High School Physics Questions According to Levels of LOCS.
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
f
%
f
%
f
%
High School Questions
55
6.3
122
13.9
458
52.3
OSS exam Questions
0
0.0
4
3.5
52
45.6
Total
55
126
510
OSS physics questions and high school physics questions were analysed according to their levels of HOCS. The resuls are given in Table IV.
Table IV Analysis OSS Physics Questions and High School Physics Questions According to Levels of HOCS.
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation
f
%
f
%
f
%
High School Questions
147
16.8
80
9.1
14
1.6
OSS exam Questions
49
43.0
4
3.5
5
4.4
Total
193
87
19
Figure 3 shows graphically both percentage of high schools and OSS physics questions level.
Figure 3 The Levels of OSS (2005) and High School Physics Questions According to BT.
