This paper investigates differences in students having various scores when designing controlled experiments in two types of scientific inquiry tasks (a fair test and an exhaustive test). We measure temporal features of preparation time and execution time, which reflect respectively the process of question understanding and answer planning and that…

This study enhanced the 7E instructional model towards enriching the science inquiry skills of senior high school learners in General Chemistry 1. A total of 136 Grade 12 learners enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand participated in the study. The study was composed of three phases. In Phase I, the…

Data from science and mathematics tests administered to 12th graders in Massachusetts were analyzed to compare the use of multiple-choice items with that of open-ended questions. Specifically, the study was designed to determine the statistical equivalence of the two types of test items, the information yielded by the items, and the grounds upon…

The framework and specifications for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment were developed in 1991-92 and field tested in 1993. The assessment was postponed, however, and will be administered in 1996. The framework calls for performance-based tasks that probe students' abilities to use materials to make…

Empirical norms are a traditional and accepted tool for reporting performance. Other methods (e.g., statistical regression) are used more often in a research context to make conditional statements about performance given a certain demographic context. This paper illustrates a method for the construction of differentiated school norms and the…

The cost of including hands-on tasks in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment was analyzed. In recognition of growing interest in performance assessment in science, the framework for the NAEP science assessment called for the inclusion of hands-on tasks with hands-on activities and questions about the…

This study is part of continuing research into the meaning of future National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science scales. In this study, the test framework, as examined by NAEP's consensus process, and attributes of the items, identified by science experts, cognitive scientists, and measurement specialists, are examined. Preliminary…