Background/purpose: Critical thinking (CT) is fundamental in science education, but instruments to measure CT in specific domains, such as physics, are still limited. The present study aims to develop and validate the Critical Thinking Test in Temperature and Heat (CTTH), an instrument designed to measure critical thinking skills in the topic of…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Qualitative Methods in PER: A Critical Examination.] Epistemic beliefs about physics are most often investigated using quantitative instruments that reflect binary conceptualizations of those beliefs. This study reports from a qualitative study which used continua to represent the epistemic beliefs…

This study addresses a significant gap in educational research by employing statistical methods to measure the sequencing of different components and content topics in textbooks. It is well-documented that the structure and sequencing features of textbooks play a crucial role in enhancing students' learning. However, existing literature has…

The study investigated Chinese secondary school teachers' views on ethicality of teachers' practices in classroom assessment. Participants included 1,871 teachers from 205 secondary schools in 23 provinces, 4 municipalities, and 4 autonomous regions in China. A survey study with 14 authentic assessment scenarios revealed that there is no evident…

Portraits of a Graduate (POGs) have become popular in education over the past decade as states and districts work to better define the knowledge and skills that students should master before high school graduation. The impetus for the development of POGs comes from several converging factors in the educational landscape. As states and districts…

Grades are the universal tool for measuring students' performance at school. However, other competency-based evaluation methods have shown to have a stronger impact on the learning quality. We investigated how different methods are collectively represented and discursively constructed among students at an Italian high school class. Thematic…

Assessment is usually considered as an afterthought in the instructional design process. Given the many challenges of assessment design--and the lack of ready solutions--teachers may fall back on familiar forms of assessments and hope for the best. As a result, the problem is not a lack of will on the part of teachers. Instead, it is the lack of…

Purpose: The aim is to qualitatively explore Civics teachers' assessment decisions regarding content, skills, and methods in Swedish upper secondary schools. Methodology: Thematic analyses of assignments and interviews of thirteen Civics teachers in Swedish upper secondary school. Findings: The open Swedish curriculum and Civics syllabus enables…

Approaching assessment from an end-to-end perspective helps with appropriate assessment selection, design, and practice. Thinking in terms of end-to-end reminds teachers to keep in sight the aspirations (or ends) associated with any assessment activity. It also helps teachers to consider how to integrate assessment activities and capabilities into…

Interscholastic athletics represent the most significant body within the sport industry (Fraina, Forsyth, Johnson, & Whisenant, 2022) given the lasting positive outcomes that can be enjoyed by student-athletes through their participation. With the impact of head coaches, both positively and negatively, in shaping the achievement of these…

This qualitative study investigated the teacher evaluation systems currently in place in diocesan high schools in California and the ways in which those systems could be improved. Diocesan schools are private, Catholic institutions that do not subscribe to federal regulations when creating their evaluation instruments. Measuring effective teaching…

A revision-based assessment system, driven by clear rubrics, can mean less stress, more effective feedback, and greater student learning. English teacher Alexis Wiggins shares an effective and time-friendly revision-based assessment system she developed that allows students to focus on learning, not their grade.

In order for climate literacy assessments to be applicable in large-scale studies, it is essential that they comply with the standards of test administration while maintaining consistency with a comprehensive definition of the concept. In alignment with the different educational frameworks and the Climate Literacy Principles of the U.S. Global…

In this paper, we develop an open-ended approach to evaluating students' citizenship competences. We aim to give students the opportunity to describe what citizenship means for them in personally relevant contexts. We developed three rubrics relevant to students' citizenship in daily life. Students in grade 10 and 11(M[subscript age] = 16)…

Assessment and evaluation are crucial to improving educational quality. Examining the opinions of teachers from various countries on in-class assessments can significantly enhance education systems. Similarities and differences in Uganda's and Turkey's educational systems justify comparing them. This study aimed to examine and compare the…