Section archive - Assessment & Evaluation

The goal of this article is to examine how quantitative methods are used in the literature and taught in doctoral programs. Evidence points to deficiencies in quantitative training and application in several areas: (a) methodological reporting problems, (b) researcher misconceptions and inaccuracies, (c) overreliance on traditional methods, and (d) a lack of coverage of modern advances. An argument is made that a culture supportive of quantitative methods is not consistently available to many applied education researchers.

This paper examines the extent to which test-based grade retention policies comply with standards for fair and appropriate test use based on norms established by the professional testing community. The results of the investigation indicate that test-based retention policies potentially violate several of the professional standards.

Assessment plays an integral role in teaching and learning in higher education and teachers have a strong interest in debates and commentaries on assessment as and for learning. This article reports on a project experimenting with interview panels as authentic assessment with preservice early childhood teachers. At the end of their first semester of study, students enrolled in the Graduate Diploma of Education program at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia were required to participate in a panel interview where they were graded by a panel made up of three faculty staff and one undergraduate student. Results indicated that both students and staff valued the experience and felt it was authentic.

This study describes the development of two instruments, the Principles of Scientific Inquiry- Teacher (PSI-T) and the Principles of Scientific Inquiry-Student (PSI-S), to investigate the extent to which students are engaged in scientific inquiry. As a result of the instrument development process employed, each finalized instrument consisted of 20-items separated into five categories. Based on the analyses completed, the instruments appear to be useful instruments for use in comprehensive assessment packages for assessing the extent to which students are experiencing inquiry in science classrooms.