Student Portfolio Evaluation In Scientific Inquiry Research And Practice

It is the major objective "to change the traditional function of evaluation whichputs great emphasis on discrimination and selection and bring into full play thefunction which helps the development of the students and helps teachers improve theteaching methods" in the new course reform. The dissertation starts with theinnovation of evaluation and learning methods, which is emphasized in the newcourse reform. In order to avoid the disadvantages of the traditional teachingevaluation, the new course reform puts forward higher and newer requirements. It isadvocated the subject of the evaluation should be diversified, the process of theevaluation should be complete, the content of evaluation should be comprehensive,and the way of evaluation should be various, and the pertinence and effectiveness ofteaching evaluation should be improved. The study of student portfolio evaluationprovides an effective way of realizing the function of encouraging students'development and teachers' improving teaching practice.Multi-intelligence, constructionalism and post-modernism all stress students'initiative study: every learner is a unique individual;teaching should not be evaluatedby a uniform standard;students should be given the chance to keep different opinions.Student portfolio evaluation is a new way of evaluation based on the three theoriestalked above and "a purposive collection of students' learning process, but it is notmanifested in only one field of the course, but in many fields. The collection includesthe selection of the content that students participate in initiatively, the standard ofcontent selection, the standard of evaluating students' weaknesses and strengths, theevidence of students' self-reflection and so on."Scientific inquiry plays a very important role in the new course reform ofchemistry. The scientific inquiry aiming to train and develop students' scientificaccomplishment needs corresponding evaluation system, the establishment of whichshould include the following four parts: making the content and standard of evaluationclear;designing the evaluation tool;collecting and analyzing the data and evidencewhich reflect students' study;making clear the key points which will improvestudents' development and making better plans. The system of scientific inquiryevaluation should reflect the basic elements of scientific inquiry study, that is,students' awareness of questions during the study of research, the active attitude ofparticipation, the ability to obtain and process the information, the experience ofresearch course, the acknowledgement of research methods, the communication ofresearch situations, the behavior of cooperation, the ability to evaluation andself-criticize, etc.In the use of student portfolio evaluation in scientific inquiry, it is students whorecord their own learning process. Teachers learn about and evaluate students'learning process and results through the record of the students, develop students'self-reflective ability and propel the advancement of students' motive, encouragestudents to take an active part in cooperation with teachers and improve theirscientific attainment. When it is put into practice, firstly, teachers should confirm theevaluation objective, direct students to the collection of materials, explain theconnotation of student portfolio evaluation, and make sure the content and bound ofevaluation. Secondly, at the material-collecting stage, teachers should oftencommunicate with students, learn about students' improvement in time, and establishthe objective for further study and evaluation. Finally, at the stage of self-reflectionpresentation, problems in learning process and students portfolio evaluation can befound through reflection and communication.It is discovered through research and practice that students have a passion forportfolio evaluation. Therefore most students are more interested in the study ofchemistry, make progress in it and have improved a lot in scientific inquiry ability.But student portfolio evaluation is a new evaluation method emerged in the newcourse reform. Great efforts from the society, governments at all levels, educationdepartment responsible for the task, schools, teachers, parents and students are neededto solve the conflicts between new and old evaluation methods. We should strive torealize the aim of new course reform.