Development of Process-oriented Inquiry-Based Science Performance Assessment Method and Application to Science Gifted High School Students

In this study, we propose a valid and reliable science performance assessment method that can enhance the effect of teaching and learning through the process-centered performance evaluation in a formative meaning, and we analyze the effect on teaching and learning. The science performance assessment method combines the implementation of some parts of all the experiments conducted in a class: Solving several inquiry problems in a given time, completing the report by interpreting the given data, and analyzing the errors. All experiments conducted in class, as well as the results and the processes to provide students and teachers formative meaning could be evaluated. In particular, the difficulties and the problems of the existing performance assessment or a process-oriented assessment method could be supplemented. We expect that the science performance assessment method presented on this study to settle the issues of existing science performance assessment, through evaluating students' understanding of the overall function of the inquiry process to identify the difficulties in students' learning and to provide opportunities to improve teaching and learning related to science inquiry.