The Assessment For High School Students' Scientific Inquiring Ability

Scientific inquiry ability,being an important part of scientific quality,should be assessed in physics teaching to develop and improve students' scientific quality. The present research on assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability, however, is still inadequate. So doing some research on assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability has a great of realistic meaning.The theory of the aim of scientific education, the theory of the scientific inquiry ability and the theory of the development education evaluation are essential bases to the research. The theory of the aim of scientific education shows that the basic aim of scientific education in high school is to improve students' scientific inquiry ability, which is an important part of scientific quality. The theory of the scientific inquiry ability shows that the scientific inquiry ability is a kind of advanced ability with complex structure. Its formation and development has its own characteristics,such as the practicality,the comprehensive nature and the progression,which should be followed in cultivating and assessing students' scientific inquiry ability. The theory of the development education evaluation shows that the assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability is to promote their scientific inquiry ability and to develop their potential. So the idea of the development education evaluation should be embodyed in the assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability.They are some fundamental principles should be followed in the assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability, such as development principle, process principle, student-focused principle, open principle and feasibility principle. With these principles, assessment index of scientific inquiry ability should be builded up scientifically; the weight of scientific inquiry ability should be allocated reasonably; the result of the pencil-paper test and the result of the performance assessment for student's ability of science inquiry should be established objectively; the student's comprehensive ability of science inquiry should be assessed justly and the assessment index system of students' scientific inquiry ability should be builded up entirely.In order to do some research on the assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability,It is essenial to discuss the pencil and paper test and the performance assessment for student's ability of science inquiry in depth. To examine the student's scientific inquiry ability with pencil and paper test, the connotation and the grade levels of scientific inquiry ability should be determined; the thinking activities of science inquiry should be induced by the test; the scientific inquiry ability which is displayed in the student's answer of the question should be explained in reason, the grade levels of student's scientific inquiry ability should be assessed clearly. During the assessment of student's scientific inquiry ability with pencil and paper test, the validity and reliability should be promoted; the job of compilation and consummation of the test should be strengthened; pencil and paper test and authentic assessment should be combined properly, the justice for the assessment of scientific inquiry ability should be achieved during the assessment of students' achievement in science instruction.The performance assessment for student's ability of science inquiry is based on their behavior and the performance during their process of scientific inquiry. In order to promote the validity, reliability and feasibility, the aims of performance assessment must be determined clearly, the performance tasks should be designed appropriately; the operational rubrics should be constructed correctly; the student's performance must be recorded objectively; students' development should be promoted by the assessment. More research on the assessment for science inquiry ability should be done, process assessment and summative assessment, pencil and paper test and authentic assessment should be combined, the justice for the assessment on science inquiry ability should be achieved, during the assessment for students' achievement in science instruction.In order to do some reseach on the pencil and paper test for student's ability of science inquiry,it is essential to discuss the compilation of inquiring test paper in depth. There are four methods to compile inquiring test questions, which can be compiled in the context of technology, society, environment and life, in the context of the physics history, in the context of scientific experiment, and by altering existed test questions. More research on the compilation of inquiring test paper should be done to promote its validity and reliability.The empirical research on the development and assessment for students' scientific inquiry ability is a substantial part of the research. First, the investigatation about the actuality of assessment of students' scientific inquiry ability shows that there are more activities for fostering students' scientific inquiry ability in junior school than senior school;assessment for high school students' scientific inquiry ability is absent owing to lack of assessment index system of students' scientific inquiry ability. The tutors, thinking students' poor experimental and inquiring capability,lack inquiry and guiding teaching ability. All of these result in the absence of assessment for high school students' scientific inquiry ability. Second, the empirical research on assessment for students' scientific inquiry ability based on the grade two students in FuYang senior high school is carried out. Students' scientific inquiry ability is tested ,the result of scientific inquiry ability is analysed, the advantages and disadvantages of students' scientific inquiry ability is interpreted. Third, the performance assessment for student's ability of science inquiry based on small samples is carried out. Students' scientific inquiry ability based on their behavior and the performance during their process of scientific inquiry is measured; Students' comprehensive scientific inquiry ability based on the result of pencil and paper test and performance assessment is interpreted.