Measuring Primary Students' Graph Interpretation Skills Via a Performance Assessment: A case study in instrument development

This case study was conducted within the context of a place-based education project that was implemented with primary school students in the USA. The authors and participating teachers created a performance assessment of standards-aligned tasks to examine 6-10-year-old students' graph interpret...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of science education 2015-11, Vol.37 (17), p.2787-2808
Main Authors: Peterman, Karen, Cranston, Kayla A., Pryor, Marie, Kermish-Allen, Ruth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic standards
Age Differences
Case Studies
Coding
Common Core State Standards
Concept Formation
Educational evaluation
Elementary School Students
Elementary School Teachers
Elementary Schools
Grades (Scholastic)
Graphs
Interviews
Maine
Mathematical Concepts
Mathematics Skills
Performance assessment
Performance Based Assessment
Place Based Education
Predictive Validity
Pretests Posttests
Scores
Scoring Rubrics
Skill development
State Standards
Student Projects
Validity
Weather
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Summary:This case study was conducted within the context of a place-based education project that was implemented with primary school students in the USA. The authors and participating teachers created a performance assessment of standards-aligned tasks to examine 6-10-year-old students' graph interpretation skills as part of an exploratory research project. Fifty-five students participated in a performance assessment interview at the beginning and end of a place-based investigation. Two forms of the assessment were created and counterbalanced within class at pre and post. In situ scoring was conducted such that responses were scored as correct versus incorrect during the assessment's administration. Criterion validity analysis demonstrated an age-level progression in student scores. Tests of discriminant validity showed that the instrument detected variability in interpretation skills across each of three graph types (line, bar, dot plot). Convergent validity was established by correlating in situ scores with those from the Graph Interpretation Scoring Rubric. Students' proficiency with interpreting different types of graphs matched expectations based on age and the standards-based progression of graphs across primary school grades. The assessment tasks were also effective at detecting pre-post gains in students' interpretation of line graphs and dot plots after the place-based project. The results of the case study are discussed in relation to the common challenges associated with performance assessment. Implications are presented in relation to the need for authentic and performance-based instructional and assessment tasks to respond to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards.
ISSN:0950-0693
1464-5289
DOI:10.1080/09500693.2015.1105399