Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An Assessment Rubric for Future Teachers’ Ability to Design Experiments

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Physics Education Today

Part of the book series: Challenges in Physics Education ((CPE))

  • 107 Accesses

Abstract

Designing an experiment is a challenging task for most learners. In this work, we are proposing the use of a rubric for the assessment of future Teachers’ ability to design experiments. The rubric comprises 6 dimensions and 3 levels of success of the learners’ designs and is administered as a paper & pencil task. Learners are asked to answer various problems, by designing relevant experiments using Worksheets, that are specially designed to match the dimensions of the rubric, facilitating the data collection. Results from a pilot study revealed that using this assessment scheme we were able to detect the learners’ difficulties in forming a hypothesis and in manipulating variables, and we were also able to identify possible reasons related to these difficulties. This rubric can easily be applied to a variety of educational conditions, functioning not only as a formative assessment tool for the teachers, but also as a scaffold for learners monitoring their own development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Hofstein, A., Lunetta, V.N.: The laboratory in science education: foundations for the twenty-first century. Sci. Educ. 88, 28–54 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Efstathiou, C., Hovardas, T., Xenofontos, N.A., Zacharia, Z.C., DeJong, T., Anjewierden, A., van Riesen, S.A.N.: Providing guidance in virtual lab experimentation: the case of an experiment design tool. Educ. Tech. Res. Dev. 66, 767–791 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-018-9576-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Abd-El-Khalick, F., Boujaoude, S., Duschl, R., Lederman, N.G., Mamlok-Naaman, R., Hofstein, A., Niaz, M., Treagust, D., Tuan, H.L.: Inquiry in science education: International perspectives. Sci. Educ. 88, 397–419 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Karelina, A., Etkina, E.: Acting like a physicist: Student approach study to experimental design. Phys. Rev. Special Topics Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 1–12 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.3.020106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Melville, W., Bartley, A., Fazio, X.: Scaffolding the Inquiry continuum and the constitution of Identity. Int. J. Sci. Math. Educ. 11, 1255–1273 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-012-9375-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ha, S., Kim, M.: Challenges of designing and carrying out laboratory experiments about Newton’s second law: The case of Korean gifted students. Sci. Educ. 29, 1389–1416 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-020-00155-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Molohidis, A., Hatzikraniotis, E.: Introducing preservice science teachers in the development of inquiry-based activities. In: The Role of Laboratory Work in Improving Physics Teaching and Learning, pp 131–143. Springer International Publishing (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Harlen, W.: Assessment & inquiry-based science education: issues in policy and practice. Global Network of Science Academies (IAP), Trieste (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pedaste, M., Mäeots, M., Siiman, L.A., de Jong, T., van Riesen, S.A.N., Kamp, E.T., Manoli, C.C., Zacharia, Z.C., Tsourlidaki, E.: Phases of inquiry-based learning: definitions and the inquiry cycle. Educ. Res. Rev. 14, 47–61 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.02.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Emden, M., Sumfleth, E.: Assessing students’ experimentation processes in guided inquiry. Int. J. Sci. Math. Educ. 14, 29–54 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9564-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Karagianni, H., Psillos, D.: Investigating the effectiveness of explicit and implicit inquiry-oriented instruction on primary students’ views about the non-linear nature of inquiry. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 44, 604–626 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2022.2050486

  12. Schreiber, N., Theyßen, H., Schecker, H.: Process-oriented and product-oriented assessment of experimental skills in physics: a comparison. In: Papadouris, N., Hadjigeorgiou, A., Constantinou, C.P. (eds.) Insights from research in science teaching and learning, pp. 29–43. Springer International Publishing, Cham (2016)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Lefkos, I., Psillos, D., Hatzikraniotis, E.: Designing experiments on thermal interactions by secondary-school students in a simulated laboratory environment. Res. Sci. Technol. Educ. 29, 189–204 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2010.533266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Johnstone, A.H., Al-Shuaili, A.: Learning in the laboratory; some thoughts from the literature. Univ. Chem. Educ. 5, 42–91 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Dasgupta, A.P., Anderson, T.R., Pelaez, N.: Development and validation of a rubric for diagnosing students’ experimental design knowledge and difficulties. CBE Life Sci. Educ. 13, 265–284 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-09-0192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Garratt, J., Tomlinson, J.: Experimental design—an it be taught or learned? (Nyholm Symposium). Univ. Chem. Educ. 5, 74–79 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  17. van Riesen, S.A.N., Gijlers, H., Anjewierden, A., de Jong, T.: The influence of prior knowledge on experiment design guidance in a science inquiry context. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 40, 1327–1344 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1477263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Komives, C.F.: Inquiry-based laboratory for teaching students design-of-experiments. J. Eng. Educ. Transform. 28, 1–5 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Etkina, E., Van Heuvelen, A., White-Brahmia, S., Brookes, D.T., Gentile, M., Murthy, S., Rosengrant, D., Warren, A.: Scientific abilities and their assessment. Phys. Rev. Spec. Top. Phys. Educ. Res. 2, 1–15 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.2.020103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Komives, C., Mourtos, N.J., Anagnos, T., McMullin, K.M.: Enhancing inquiry skills in engineering through a university-school district partnership. In: 9th international conference on engineering education. p. Session T1A. , San Juan, PR (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Boudreaux, A., Shaffer, P.S., Heron, P.R.L., McDermott, L.C.: Student understanding of control of variables: deciding whether or not a variable influences the behavior of a system. Am. J. Phys. 76, 163–170 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1119/1.2805235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Lawson, A.E.: Sound and faulty arguments generated by preservice biology teachers when testing hypotheses involving unobservable entities. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 39, 237–252 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.10019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Schreiber, N., Theyssen, H., Schecker, H.: Experimental competencies in science: a comparison of assessment tools. In: E-Book Proceedings of the ESERA 2011 Conference: Science learning and Citizenship. Part 10 Evaluation and assessment of student learning. 66–72 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Arnold, J.C., Kremer, K., Mayer, J.: Understanding Students’ Experiments-What kind of support do they need in inquiry tasks? Int. J. Sci. Educ. 36, 2719–2749 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2014.930209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Kalthoff, B., Theyssen, H., Schreiber, N.: Explicit promotion of experimental skills. And what about the content-related skills? Int. J. Sci. Educ. 40, 1305–1326 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1477262

  26. Osterhaus, C., Koerber, S., Sodian, B.: Children’s understanding of experimental contrast and experimental control: an inventory for primary school. Front. Learn. Res. 3, 56–94 (2015). https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v3i4.220

  27. Schneider, W., Bullock, M.: Human development from early childhood to early adulthood: Findings from a 20 year longitudinal study. Psychology Press (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Komives, C., Mourtos, N.J., McMullin, K.M., Anagnos, T.: Evaluating student mastery of design of experiment. In: 2007 37th annual frontiers in education conference – global engineering: knowledge without borders, opportunities without passports. pp. T3G-7-T3G-12. IEEE (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Prince, M., Vigeant, M., Nottis, K.: Repairing student misconceptions in heat transfer using inquiry-based activities. Chem. Eng. Educ. 50, 52–61 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. LIRES Lab, University of Macedonia, 156 Egnatia Street, 546 36, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Ioannis Lefkos

Authors
  1. Ioannis Lefkos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ioannis Lefkos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Chemistry “Emilio Segrè”, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

    Claudio Fazio

  2. Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Paul Logman

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Lefkos, I. (2024). An Assessment Rubric for Future Teachers’ Ability to Design Experiments. In: Fazio, C., Logman, P. (eds) Physics Education Today. Challenges in Physics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48667-8_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48667-8_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-48666-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-48667-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation