International, national and classroom assessment: Potent factors in shaping what counts in school science

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine the potential influences of international, national and classroom assessment programmes on what counts in school science. To do this, we develop a multilayered framework that considers the interactions between levels of assessment (international, national and classroom) and how science is articulated at the national, school and classroom levels. International and national science assessments as well as broader assessment policies are considered in relation to their potential influences on school science. Drawing on the New Zealand context, we illustrate how assessment policies and procedures act to both broaden, but more often constrain, what counts in school science. The international and New Zealand picture is complex, but emerging evidence suggests that multilayered assessment initiatives have significant impact on the way in which science education is operationalised at the national, school and classroom level, including the nature of the curriculum, classroom approaches and the time spent on science.