Social Studies: Assessing Year 8 Student's Knowledge and Understanding about New Zealand Society

NEMP probe studies provide researchers with the opportunity to carry out more detailed analyses of data collected during the annual monitoring of student achievement. The present probe study focuses on a re-examination of the 2001 results for Year 8 students with reference to the curriculum notion of 'Essential Learning about New Zealand Society' (Ministry of Education, 1997). Analysis of the NEMP data occurred in three phases. It focused on the following research questions;

1. What aspects of 'Essential Learning about New Zealand Society' are assessed in the 2001 NEMP monitoring tasks for Year 8 students?
2. How are the ELANZS areas assessed?
3. What knowledge and understanding do Year 8 students' have about New Zealand society, as assessed in the 2001 NEMP tasks?
4. What are students' areas of strength and weakness, overall, in relation to the ELANZS areas?
5. What are some of the common misunderstandings and strengths apparent in students' responses to selected assessment tasks?
6. What are some of the possible reasons for the misunderstandings and strengths observed?
7. What are the strengths and weaknesses of specific assessment approaches and tasks used with Year 8 students in the 2001 monitoring of social studies?
8. What suggestions might be made for assessing students' knowledge and understanding in the ELANZS areas for 2005?