Learning Assessment In The Teaching Of Science In The Professional Development Of Teachers

Assessment for Learning (AFL) is a new form developed from Formative Assessment in the middle of 1990s, which aims at promoting the students' learning and teachers' professional development by enhancing the quality of classroom teaching and learning. Based on the illustration of the background and definition of AFL, the relationship between AFL and science teaching and also the ways to conduct AFL in science classroom (the process of AFL) have been discussed. And then the main bodies of this paper focus on the application of AFL strategies in science classroom and its impact upon the professional development of science teachers.This paper consists of four parts. In the first part, it starts with the introduction of the reasons why the author chooses this topic, which follows by the review of the relevant literature, and then ends with the research methods; the second part is about the illustration the background of the rising of AFL as well as the definition of AFL; the third part is about the illustration of application of the AFL strategies in science classroom, which includes the strategies of observing, questioning, providing feedback to students' written records as well as self-assessment and peer-assessment together with the analysis of some cases and episodes occurring in science class; in the fourth part, the author ends with the impact of AFL upon science teachers' professional development, which includes the higher requirements towards science teachers and the opportunities provide for them.