In upper-secondary chemistry education, the concept of 'Amount of Substance' occupies a central position within the computation framework. However, comprehending this concept often poses a challenge for students. To address this issue, our study aimed to design and implement a computation skills test to assess the varying levels of students'…

Instructional strategies employing complex problem-solving examine how learners represent the problem space and argue for decisions. Unlike problems with few solutions (e.g., multiple choices), instructors struggle to evaluate solutions to ill-structured problems quickly and consistently across students. This prevents instructors to provide timely…

This paper describes the development and validation of an instrument to assess how students deal with emotionally challenging classroom situations (the DECCS Questionnaire). The questionnaire is based on a vignette with one learning and one performance situation in a classroom, and is intended for students in grades 4 to 7. On a sample of N = 639…

Decisions about assessment are often built on myths about teacher professional judgment and subjectivity that prioritize standardized assessment over classroom assessment. Ken O'Connor and Matt Townsley discuss some of the most common myths and explain how to dispel them by developing clear guidelines in which teachers can exercise their judgment,…

This study aims to describe components and levels of upper secondary social science students' reasoning about social problems. We consulted conceptualizations of social scientific reasoning in sociology textbooks and social science education literature, analyzed student papers, and conducted focus groups with social science teachers and teacher…

This dissertation comprises two articles. In the first article, I review and synthesize literature on how prospective teachers (PTs) might evaluate students' mathematical thinking as manifested in written work. After defining evaluation, I argue that evaluating students' thinking in productive ways is both necessary and desirable within the…

Merit-based procedures should be constantly reevaluated according to the circumstances to remain both valid and fair--two interrelated concepts. Inducing reevaluation, however, is difficult. These procedures are controlled by legitimate authorities, are rule and contract-bound, and can become quickly entrenched. This resistance to change calls for…

In the contemporary world of digitalisation, comprehensive digital competence (DC) is and should be an integral part of students' repertoire to guarantee not only academic but also professional success. However, the level and requirements for DC may vary within specific educational contexts, especially in culturally oriented institutions. This…

The importance of mathematical problem solving (MPS) has been widely recognized. While there has been significant progress in developing and studying interventions to support teaching and learning MPS for students with disabilities, the research on how to accurately and effectively assess the impact of those interventions has lagged, leaving a gap…

Laboratory learning has been the focus of significant creativity for educators. Engaging students in "real world" contexts or using their knowledge in laboratory exercises in a meaningful way requires that students are engaged in the practice of science. The role of decision-making around this practice of science, say for the analysis of…

Contribution: This research illuminates information entropy's efficacy as a pivotal educational tool in programming, enabling the precise quantification of algorithmic complexity and student abstraction levels for solving problems. This approach can provide students quantitative, comparative insights into the differences between optimal and…

This article explores: (1) the barriers facing students and teachers regarding this type of assessment, and (2) a proposed framework for overcoming these barriers. In this study, the barriers and corresponding assessment techniques were determined by interviewing a sample of 17 students and five teachers. The main barrier reported by the students…

Data suggest that young children may experience social emotional delays and disabilities, with both short- and long-term consequences. IDEA's early intervention and preschool special education provides one way for young children to receive support for social emotional needs; yet many children do not receive services. This study explored initial…

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine when students deepen their conceptual understanding of mathematical modeling during a one-semester course in biomedical engineering that uses the constructivist problem-based learning (PBL) framework. The study hypothesizes that concept maps, as a form of assessment, would show increased complexity…

Determining the most appropriate method of scoring an assessment is based on multiple factors, including the intended use of results, the assessment's purpose, and time constraints. Both the dichotomous and partial credit models have their advantages, yet direct comparisons of assessment outcomes from each method are not typical with constructed…