IBSE Final

Chapter 5 Science Teaching and assessing Students’ Scientific literacy

tHE tEACHING OF SCIENCE: 21 st-CENTURY PERSPECTIVES 99

• Understanding the natural world, including technology, on the basis of

scientific knowledge that includes both knowledge of the natural world

and knowledge about science itself. This is the knowledge component of

assessment.

• Demonstrating competencies that include identifying scientific questions,

explaining phenomena scientifically, and using scientific evidence as the

basis for arguments, conclusions, and decisions. This is the competency

component.

• Responding with an interest in science, support for scientific inquiry, and

motivation to act responsibly toward, for example, natural resources and

environments. This is the attitudinal dimension of assessment.

This relationship is represented graphically in Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1 Framework for PISA 2006 Science Assessment

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Personal, social, and global contexts • Life situations that involve science and technology

Scientific competencies • identify scientific issues, • explain phenomena scientifically, and • use scientific evidence.

Scientific knowledge What you know about • the natural world (knowledge of science), and • science itself (knowlege about science).

Attitudes toward science • How you respond to science issues (interest, support for scientific inquiry, responsibility

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require you to

How you do so is influenced by

• Understanding the natural world, including technology, on the basis of