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Scales and Number Distributions
Book Chapter |
Statistics is a branch of science that deals with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of numerical data. We use statistics every day to solve problems. Geneticist Gregor Mendel, for example,…
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Central Tendency and Variability
Book Chapter |
This chapter presents two important interrelated topics in statistics: central tendency and variability. Measures of central tendency show how similar the data points in a set of data are, while measures of variability…
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Book Chapter |
In this chapter, the authors will discuss the following types of standard scores: percentile ranks, z-scores, and T-scores. All are based on concepts—such as the mean, the normal distribution, and the standard deviation…
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Book Chapter |
This chapter will discuss the concept of correlation, which is used in later chapters that will explain the concepts of validity and reliability. Here, the authors introduce the Pearson correlation coefficient, a…
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Book Chapter |
In this chapter, the authors will describe the four types of validity: construct validity, content validity, concurrent validity, and predictive validity. Depending on the test and the rationale or purpose for its…
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Book Chapter |
In essence, reliability is the consistency of test results. To understand the meaning of reliability and how it relates to validity, imagine going to an airport to take flight #007 from Pittsburgh to San Diego. If,…
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Book Chapter |
Many criticisms have been launched against grades in general because of their perceived failure to portray student achievement accurately. In many instances, these criticisms are just. But, if student grades are…
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PISA: An Introduction and Overview
Book Chapter |
For most science teachers, the term PISA evokes images of a leaning tower in an Italian city, but PISA also is an acronym for a major international assessment of students. In 2006, the primary assessment domain of PISA…
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Everyday Conceptions Across the World
Book Chapter |
In the initial phases of the process of developing items for the PISA 2006 assessment of scientific literacy, efforts were made to develop a smaller number of units called focus units. In addition to contributing to the…
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A Perspective on U.S. Science Teaching and Learning
Book Chapter |
This chapter presents a sketch on how PISA 2006 assessed conditions of teaching and learning in science classrooms. With selected findings from PISA 2006, similarities and differences are shown between approaches taken…
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Improving Science Teaching and Learning
Book Chapter |
In this chapter, attention is drawn to the issue of quality instruction and level of student achievement. The chapter begins with a review of the findings of the McKinsey report (Barber and Mourshed 2007) about the…
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Windows Into High-Achieving Science Classrooms
Book Chapter |
For most science teachers, the vision of science instruction has been limited to what transpires in their own classrooms and possibly those of a few select colleagues. Rarely do they have the opportunity to examine…
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The Importance of Aligning Teaching and Assessment
Book Chapter |
This chapter focuses on the relation that is desirable between assessment and teaching activities in order to keep coherence with teaching goals and help all students to understand this coherence. The PISA 2006…
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PISA 2006 Assessment of Attitudes Toward Science
Book Chapter |
Science teachers want students to develop interest in science and value in learning science. Attitudes toward science play an important role in students' decisions to develop their science knowledge, pursue careers in…
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What Science Do Students Want to Learn
Book Chapter |
A major innovation in PISA 2006 was that many of the science units contained one or two questions designed to assess students' attitudes toward science—in particular, students’ interest in learning about specific…
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