Supervisors info:
Μυλωνάς Κωνσταντίνος, Καθηγητής, Μέλος ΔΕΠ, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Γκαρή Αικατερίνη, Καθηγήτρια, Μέλος ΔΕΠ, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Πολυχρόνη Φωτεινή, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Μέλος ΔΕΠ, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the metrics for assessment used by high school science teachers. More specifically, the process of developing and evaluating semester examinations by the teachers, as well as certain metric features in assessing to ensure the reliability and validity of the exams, have been studied. In addition, the characteristics of the development and the evaluation of exam responses were examined against two other variables, professional burnout and self-consciousness.
The exams are the primary tool for evaluating the performance of students, both in Greece and abroad. Therefore, because exams are great diagnostic tools, which promote the learning process, it is important to examine the process of developing and evaluating semester examinations. To be more precise, they should be structured so as to ensure reliable results and valid information. At the same time, the way they are evaluated is particularly important, so as not to observe any problems in the reliability of scoring the responses and by using fair objective correcting. Surely, the evaluation of students through exams can be linked to various concepts. In this particular case, it is linking the degree of self-consciousness and the professional burnout in teachers. They are concepts that have not been correlated with issues of evaluating and scoring students and that were likely considered in influencing the teacher’s teaching actions and decisions.
In this research, a mixed methodological approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative research. In particular, interviews were conducted, which were analyzed thematically, and based on the results of the interviews, a questionnaire was designed, which was used as a methodological tool for quantitative research. The sample consisted of one hundred science teachers in secondary education institutions in the Region of Attica. As far as the interviews are concerned, they took place with seven science professors from two high schools located in the municipality of Alimos.
Concerning the psychometric part of this study, an exploratory analysis was made in order to extract factors from the exam development and evaluation questionnaire. The results indicated the existence of eight factors, which are called "Organizing Correction of Exams", "The Usefulness of Examinations in Education”, "Factors Contributing to the Inaccuracy of the Final Score", "Focusing on the Level of Expertise", "Choice of Subject Matter", "Record of Teaching Goals", "Exercises With a Gradual Level of Difficulty" and "A Revision Lesson Before the Exam". These factors account for about 68.65% percent of the total variance. The three out of the eight factors include two elements and they were taken into account with caution.
The main findings showed that teachers are highly aware of the usefulness of exams and few times they sense they fall into bias errors that affect the final grade. Moreover, first they correct the student’s whole exam, and then move on to correct the next, and basically relying on their experience and they do not prefer using choice of subject matter.
Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the factor "Usefulness of Examinations in Education" and the factors "Focusing Level on Expertise", "Record of Teaching Goals" and "Exercises With a Gradual Level of Difficulty". In addition, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the factor "Factors Contributing to the Inaccuracy of the Final Score" and the factor "Choice of Subject Matter".
Finally, the two dimensions of personal self-consciousness were found to be positively related to the factors "Usefulness of Examinations in Education" and "Focusing Level on Expertise". Additionally, professional inefficiency is positively correlated with the factor "Factors Contributing to Inaccuracy of the Final Score" and negatively with the factor "Usefulness of Examinations in Education".
In conclusion, the results of the present survey show that teachers perceive the high usefulness of exams and carry out different actions, such as the recording of teaching goals, the designing exercises with gradual level of difficulty and the avoidance of the right to choose exercises. However, they have linked the usefulness of exams to actions that are not suitable for designing a valid and reliable test, such as using their experience. At the same time, although the teachers consider that the final score in the exams is, primarily objective, in fact, they often fall into bias errors, which they do not perceive or ignore. In fact, the process which teachers say they adopt for correcting exams, is one of them.
Finally, this study is a first approach to the subject and could be considered a stimulus for further research.
