Abstract
This chapter explores the moderating influence of assessment on secondary school science teachers’ notions of what is important in science education and their practices. Six senior secondary science teachers from different states of Australia (Queensland and Victoria), all identified by peers as “expert” teachers, were involved in this research. In Australia, school education is a state responsibility. These two states represent very different policy approaches to assessment at senior years of schooling; in particular, Victoria has externally set system-wide (high stakes) examinations at the end of the final year, while Queensland has for several decades used solely school-based assessment (with some external moderation) in the final year. This chapter highlights the influence such policies can have on moderating teachers’ practices and the differences between what they think is important in science education and the reality of their classrooms.
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Corrigan, D., Cooper, R. (2013). The Influence of Assessment on Moderating Science Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices. In: Corrigan, D., Gunstone, R., Jones, A. (eds) Valuing Assessment in Science Education: Pedagogy, Curriculum, Policy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6668-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6668-6_8
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