countries. Each of the teacher experiences was written up as a case study and the
information summarised in thefinal SAILS Units. The purpose of the case studies
was to provide real examples of how teachers implemented the inquiry activity and
adapted the assessment to suit their own classrooms. Each case study was com-
pleted as a narrative detailing the following:
(i) How was the learning sequence adapted?Teachers’reasons for their
approach. What questions they used? How did the learners respond? What
did the teacher notice?
(ii) How were the skills assessed?How did they plan to make their judgements
(during/after the inquiry)? What model of assessment was used?
(iii) Criteria for judging assessment data:What were the teachers looking for
in terms of satisfactory response to the inquiry? What were their
expectations?
(iv) Evidence Collected: Teacher opinion, Observer notes, Sample Student
artefacts.
(v) Use of Assessment DataWhat did the teachers do next? How did they feed
back to their learners? How did doing the inquiry affect their planning and
decisions about next steps in learning?
A specific example of a pilot unit that was developed into a SAILS Unit was on
the topic of Reaction Rates. The Reaction Rates Unit uses effervescent vitamin C
tablets to introduce students to the concepts of gas production in the reaction of acid
with carbonate, rates of reaction and factors influencing reaction rate. Three main
activities aimed at lower second level are included, although these can be further
extended and adapted for upper second level. This topic was chosen as rate of
reaction has relevance in everyday life—from cooking, to taking medicines to
aging! Usually this topic is investigated in schools using the effect of hydrochloric
acid on marble chips—both of these materials are mainly unfamiliar to the students
when they are starting their studies in chemistry. Therefore, the context as outlined
of effervescent vitamin C tablets was chosen as it is familiar to the students and is
non-threatening in that students can safely handle these materials. This unit
focusses on the inquiry skills of planning and carrying out an investigation
including identifying variables (relevant and irrelevant), handling a complex system
to reduce number of variables, determining relationship between variables.
Table 56.1 Assessment opportunities within SAILS inquiry and assessment units
Who assesses When assessed Evidence of assessment Outcome of
assessment
Teacher Before an activity Observations Formative
Peer—student During the activity Dialogue (teacher/student,
student/student)DiagnosticStudent (self) At end of activity Student artefacts (concept map,
graph, plan, drawing ...)Summative56 Building Teacher Confidence in Inquiry and Assessment... 829