Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item The effects of performance assessments on student success and science perception in a middle school classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Donohue, Adelle Hanson; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesAuthentic assessment strategies are a key component to implementing the Next Generation Science Standards with fidelity. Through the use of performance assessments, this action research project aimed to increase student confidence on authentic assessments, support content knowledge retention, and encourage students to understand science as a process instead of a product. Through the course of two instructional units, students were administered performance assessments in place of traditional tests. Instructional scaffolding was provided throughout the study, starting with a high level of support and instruction on performance assessments and incrementally moving toward independence. Performance assessments were scored with a rubric and students were given three surveys to assess confidence levels and perception of science. Two interview sessions were conducted to further support the research. Traditional multiple-choice tests were administered in tandem with the performance assessments to gauge content knowledge retention. The data suggests that performance assessments played a valuable role in shifting student perception of science from product to process and student confidence in the assessments increased throughout the study. Student feedback indicated that students valued the experience and appreciated the opportunity to be assessed through application of their science knowledge to real-world scenarios.Item Evaluating assessment tools for learning in a high school AP physics classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2022) Cohen, Annelisa Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: C. John GravesThis research studies if the effect of two different assessment strategies, (1) Documented Problem Solutions and (2) Performance-Based Assessment, on physics exams. This study takes place in a High School AP Physics course that utilizes AP Classroom by College Board online as the source of the examination utilized to measure student outcomes.Item The effect of standards based grading on the developing growth mindset in a high school physics classroom(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2021) Davis, Sarah Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Greg FrancisThis Action Research project investigated the impact of standards-based grading (SBG) on developing a growth mindset for students in a high school physics classroom. Originally termed by Carol Dweck, those with a growth mindset have the innate ability to constantly improve through effort and a willingness to take on challenges. Having this type of mindset should set students up for success regardless of their future profession. However, many students do not possess this mindset. Often students avoid challenges and seek the easiest path towards the highest grade possible, even if this path results in little to no lasting understanding. It is difficult to foster a growth mindset in a classroom using a traditional grading system because students quickly adapt to game the system and receive the best grade possible with the least amount of effort. Instead, the SBG system focuses on understanding and streamlines the gradebook to only reflect student mastery of the content. To succeed in this grading system, students must work on skills such as seeking out feedback and being aware of their own academic misconceptions. At the conclusion of the research process, students became more receptive to feedback and improved their perception of making mistakes. Students reported that SBG gave a better picture of their understanding compared to a traditional gradebook. They also noted that the frequent assessments associated with SBG helped them become more aware of their understanding. Finally, students saw a substantial decrease in test anxiety as their final letter grade was strongly deemphasized and as they gained a better awareness of what their grade truly represented.