In 2002, the researcher conducted a probe study concerning student performance across the curriculum in items in the NEMP assessments which tested the essential skills (Knight, 2002). In the section on problem-solving skills (pp 21-22), an attempt was made to classify those items of a problem solving nature according to the kind of thinking required for their successful completion.
The classification of thinking used was that of the New Zealand Curriculum Framework document (Ministry of Education, 1993, p17) which states, among other attributes, that:
- Students will:
- think critically, creatively, reflectively and logically.
The focus of the study was on student performance and, in particular, on differences in performance between year 4 and year 8 students, and on changes in performance between assessment cycles. Consequently only those tasks which were attempted by both year groups and the trend tasks which were used in two cycles of assessment were considered.
In this study the focus is changed from being purely on student performance to the consideration of the nature of the tasks themselves and also the nature of the marking criteria used to assess student performance on these tasks.
All tasks in the 1996 – 2003 assessments are considered and those which seem to have significant potential for assessing different kinds of thinking are identified. The marking criteria for some of these tasks are then examined to determine the extent to which this potential was realised in the assessment.
It was also hoped that it would be possible to identify some particular items, presented in a one-to-one interview task approach with video tape, which might be used in subsequent studies to explore the nature of the thinking which was actually used by a sample of students in completing the tasks.
Purpose
Research questions
- What is the nature of the tasks in the NEMP assessments which seem to have significant potential to assess students':
- critical thinking skills?
- creative thinking skills?
- reflective thinking skills?
- logical thinking skills?
- To what extent is the potential for assessing these skills realised in the marking criteria for the tasks?
- What are the similarities and differences between curriculum areas in this regard?
- Is it possible to identify particular tasks, presented in a one-to-one interview format, the video tapes from which would be likely to enable a researcher, in a subsequent study, to explore the nature of the thinking which was actually used by students?
Methodology
All of the 711 tasks in the NEMP assessments from 1995 to 2003 were examined to identify tasks, or sub-tasks, which seemed to involve critical, creative, reflective, or logical thinking. 159 tasks were identified.
The marking criteria used to assess student performance on 52 of these tasks were then considered to evaluate the extent to which any potential to evaluate these kinds of thinking was realised in the assessment. The choice of tasks for this part of the research was made to ensure a spread across curriculum areas and thinking types. The relationship between the marking criteria for the tasks and the reporting of student performance was then considered.
Each of the kinds of thinking were then considered in turn, looking for similarities and differences in the tasks, and the assessment, across the curriculum.
The tasks which were presented in a format corresponding to that suggested by Halpern and, consequently having greater potential for assessing thinking were then identified.
Finally consideration was given to the possibility of future research using the video tapes of student responses.