Varietal Formative Assessment and its Impact on High School Students in a Biology Classroom

Abstract

In many high school science classrooms, particularly the biology class this study focused on, many students struggle with understanding specific concepts. They are frequently unable to make connections between the material taught during class and the material presented in summative assessments, and become frustrated with themselves and the learning process. Though formative assessments were being used in the classroom prior to this study, they weren’t as frequent as needed, nor were they explicitly pointed out to students by explaining that they were completing formative assessments. Through the implementation of a variety of formative assessments, including project-generated Misconception Probes and Concept Maps, students were given the opportunity to recognize their own learning and catch potential misunderstandings. Over the course of two treatment periods, each of which lasted approximately five weeks, students were recipients of either one type of formative assessment, or up to four different types. Data were collected by means of Misconception Probes, Concept Maps, pre- and post-summative assessments, student surveys, and student interviews. Analysis of the data at the conclusion of the study revealed that the increased use and variety of formative assessment did not have a significant impact on student achievement on summative assessments. Quantitative data showed that both treatment and control groups in each treatment period demonstrated growth and had nearly identical post-test averages. The varied assessments did not produce a statistically significant gap over traditional teaching methods. Qualitative data, however, showed that students perceived the formative assessments as highly useful tools that supported their learning. Students also highly valued the immediate feedback of some of the formative assessments, and those that put more effort into creation-based assessments generally saw their scores stay above the class average. While summative test scores did not drastically change, the varied formative assessments significantly enhanced student focus, and increased their academic confidence. Students began to find value in the thinking process itself and in making connections between concepts. Implementation of these assessments also encouraged in the educator a more data-driven and intentional approach to teaching, allowing a proactive adjustment to curriculum and the ability to differentiate reflective learning for students.