National Assessment: The APU Science Approach
In this publication, the Assessment of Performance Unit (APU) set out how it was to approach the assessment of science teaching and learning in schools. The APU was set up to promote the development of method of assessing and monitoring the achievement of children at school, and to seek to identify the incidence of under-achievement.…
APU Science Report for Teachers 4: Science in Schools, Age 13
The APU report number 4 for teachers presents, in concise form, some of the data and findings of the APU surveys of students aged 13. It includes an outline of the assessment framework, some of the questions which were written to match it, a description of how well, and how differently, students responded to them and suggestions…
Aspects of Primary Education: the Teaching and Learning of Science
Published in 1989 by Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI), this report looks at the changes in science teaching from the mid-seventies to the late-eighties and discusses how further improvements could be achieved. It is based on observations made by HMI during the inspection of 300 primary schools in England, and from evidence about…
Technology and School Science: an HMI Enquiry
This enquiry into technology and school science was conducted by HMI. The report was published in 1985. The enquiry was concerned not only with the specific technology courses offered by science departments but also sought to obtain details of any attempts being made to develop technology across the curriculum, within the general…
APU Science Report for Teachers 11: The Language of Science
This APU report for teachers differs from other reports in being jointly authored by members of the APU language and science teams. It reports the joint study of students’ written and spoken language in relation to science subject matter. This study addressed the question of whether competence in one domain might be only indirectly…
APU Science Report for Teachers 10: Metals at Age 15
This APU report for teachers focuses on the performance of students aged 15 in a range of test questions concerning metals. This subject was chosen since metals are the commonest examples of elements which students meet in their everyday lives. Questions reported were drawn from the pool used in APU surveys, supplemented by others…
APU Science Report for Teachers 9: Assessing Investigations at Age 13 and 15
This APU Science report for teachers is based on a selection of the questions used in the surveys of students aged 13 and 15 in the surveys carried out in 1981 and 1982 to assess the performance of investigations. These were complete investigations carried out individually by students working alone. Reference is also made to some…
APU Science Report for Teachers 7: Electricity at Age 15
This APU report for teachers focuses on the performance of students aged 15 in a range of test questions concerning electricity. It presents the findings in a sequence in which it suggests that different activities are generally encountered by students. An experimentally-based course would, in the first three years of secondary science,…
APU Science Report for Teachers 5: Science at Age 15
The APU report for teachers presents, in concise form, some of the data and findings of the APU surveys of students aged 15. After outlining the assessment framework (see also Report 2: Science assessment framework, age 13 and 15), the report gives information about the science subjects studies by students in England, Wales and Northern…
APU Science Report for Teachers 3: Science at Age 13
The APU report for teachers presents, in concise form, some of the data and findings of the APU surveys of students aged 13. It includes an outline of the assessment framework, some of the questions which were written to match it, a description of how well, and how differently, pupils responded to them and suggestions about how the…
APU Science Report for Teachers 2: Science Assessment Framework at Age 13 and 15
This APU Science report for teachers sets out the view of science that underpinned decisions about what to assess in the surveys of students at ages 13 and 15. The view led to attention being focused on activities associated with solving problems scientifically. These activities were expressed in the assessment framework in terms…
APU Science Report for Teachers 8: Planning Scientific Investigations at Age 11
This APU report for teachers focuses on students’ planning of investigations. Although considered important in several respects, Report for Teachers 1 found that little emphasis was given in primary schools to students designing investigations or even planning parts of investigations such as identifying variables and making…
APU Science Report for Teachers 6: Practical Testing at Ages 11, 13, and 15
This APU report for teachers describes the aspect of the science surveys where the science project broke new ground. The reason for including practical tasks was the emphasis placed on practical work in science, requiring a range of skills. It was considered that science performance could not be adequately assessed on paper alone.…
APU Science Report for Teachers 4: Science Assessment Framework Age 11
This APU report for teachers gives information about what was assessed in the APU monitoring of students’ performance aged 11 (a short-hand for children between the ages of 10 years 9 months and 11 years 8 months). After a brief summary of the background to the APU surveys, it's main focus is a description and rationale…
APU Science Report for Teachers 1: Science at Age 11
This APU report for teachers presents a summary of the main findings likely to be of most interest to teachers from the first two surveys of students at age 11, conducted in 1980 and 1981. It also offers some conclusions about what students at this age were generally able to do, or not, with implications for practice. The report…
Science in the National Curriculum 1989
This was the first National Curriculum for Science in England and Wales. One intention of the National Curriculum was that all students aged 5 to 16 learn science – that there should be ‘Science for All’ – and that this should include both the ‘methods of science’ and the acquisition of ‘knowledge…