Evaluating design-based formative assessment practices in outdoor science teaching

Background and purpose: Research in formative assessment often
pays close attention to the strategies which can be used by teachers.
However, less emphasis in the literature seems to have been paid to
study the application of formative assessment designs in practice. In
this paper, we argue that a formative assessment design that we call
Eva-Mapping, which is developed on the principles of design-based
research, can be a productive starting point for disseminating and
further developing formative assessment practices in outdoor science
teaching.
Sample, design and methods: We conducted an evaluation of the
design, based on video-elicited focus group interviews with two
groups of experienced science teachers. Both groups consisted of
teachers who taught science outside the classroom on a regular basis.
These groups watched identical video sequences which were recorded
during lessons in which teachers applied the formative assessment
design. These sequences focused on formative assessment in pairs,
in small groups, or in whole class sessions. Afterwards, the teachers
discussed each sequence. These discussions were audio recorded
and later transcribed. The transcriptions were analysed using content
analysis.
Findings: By analysing the interview data, we identified two categories
of context-determining factors that influenced the formative
assessment design (namely, Resources or Lack of Resources and The
Outdoors) and three mechanisms that influenced the assessment
process (namely, Teacher Involvement, Structure in Peer Assessment and
Knowledge Sharing). Finally, we identified four perceived outcomes of
the formative assessment design: Enthusiasm, Knowledge Application,
Acquirements and Insight into the Learning Processes.
Conclusion: We suggest that knowledge within the identified
categories can provide useful guidelines for the future development
of formative assessment in science teaching that integrates the
outdoors. This is because such knowledge forms part of teachers’
perceptions regarding the acceptability and utility of the formative
assessment design. In addition, our study contributes to evidence
within an underexplored aspect of formal outdoor science education.