Author Description

This text provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art introduction to fundamental concepts, theories, and skills in science assessment. Grounded in current research and designed to help teachers become competent in assessing student learning outcomes, it fills a void for a text that bridges current research and practice. Many graduate students in science education are practicing science teachers who need to follow current approaches to standards-based science education reforms. The National Science Education Standards as well as other professional organizations have delineated a set of essential competences in assessment for science teachers. Adopting a competence-based approach to developing teacher mastery of these skills, both in creating science assessments and using available standardized science assessment instruments, the text: introduces a large number of standardized instruments in science education for classroom use and for research; offers both assessment theories and practical skills; and includes helpful pedagogical features in each chapter: objectives, examples, a mastery checklist, and exercises. Introduction to Assessment in Science Education is intended as a textbook for graduate courses that focus on or include attention to assessment in science education.