11 Summary and Recommendations

This chapter provides a summary of the main points of the assessment, along with all of the recommendations from individual chapters. Recommendations are grouped under three main headings: "Recommendations to Teachers," with subsections by grade and subject; "Recommendations to the Ministry and to School Districts," again with subsections; and "Other Recommendations." The recommendations are not in numerical order. The chapter number is included for convenience; Recommendation 5.13, for example, refers to the thirteenth recommendation in Chapter 5.

11.1 Recommendations to Teachers

Recommendations to teachers tend to relate to specific areas of the curriculum and to the need for greater emphasis to be given those areas. In mathematics, this does not necessarily mean an increased time allotment; there is, rather, a need to incorporate additional teaching strategies (for example, increased use of manipulatives to enhance conceptual understanding) which enable areas of weakness to receive more focus without degrading achievement in presently satisfactory areas.

In science, particularly at the primary level, the need for greater attention to certain topics means that more time needs to be devoted to teaching science. It is clear from the achievement results, and from teachers' responses about the adequacy of their preparation and about how much time is spent teaching science, that major changes are needed.

In mathematics, the "snapshot" data paint a reasonably healthy picture at the Grade 4 level. There were few marginal ratings from the Interpretation Panel at this level, and improvement was shown on three of the five reporting categories.

Students did well on items involving ordering numbers based on magnitude and on those which required translating numbers from word to numeral form and vice versa. They did less well on those which involved relationships between symbols and diagrams. It is clear that there should be a greater focus on the use of concrete materials to bridge the gap between the practical and abstract representation of concepts. Accordingly, it is recommended

Recommendation 4.1

That primary teachers provide more instructional emphasis on working with concrete materials to bridge the gap between the concrete and abstract representation of concepts.

By the end of Grade 4, students should have sufficient familiarity with basic number concepts to enable them to correctly answer the types of questions presented on this assessment. It is clear that, in many instances, a suitable level of mastery is lacking. Declines were evident in the basic calculation of whole numbers and fractions. The decline warrants concern, and more attention needs to focussed on the development of students' conceptual understanding of basic operations. An attendant focus on mental mathematics competence with respect to basic operations is also in order. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 4.2

That primary teachers place more emphasis on "mental math," in order that students develop the requisite skills in dealing with abstract number concepts.

Generally, students did well on routine questions involving the concepts of place value, order, and rounding of numbers. Items involving the non-routine presentation of concepts presented some difficulties, however. The low level of performance on these types of questions suggests that teachers need to spend additional time with non-routine questions, as well as in working with place value involving decimals. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 4.3

That primary teachers place additional emphasis on place value, particularly where decimals are involved, and on the non-routine presentation of concepts.

Student achievement on story problems was lower than on items involving just routine calculations. Story problems are very important, since a context is provided for calculation questions involving potential applications in real life. Given the importance of everyday applications of mathematical concepts, it is recommended

Recommendation 4.4

That primary teachers stress problem-solving techniques and that students be given practice with realistic story problems as much as possible.

Students performed operations with common fractions relatively well, and they were able to relate numerical and pictorial representations of fractions. They experienced difficulty, though, with fractions on the number line and with equivalent figures showing fractions. The performance level on decimals was lower than on common fractions. Students experienced considerable difficulty with operations with decimals and with place value involving decimal fractions. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.5

That primary teachers focus to a greater extent on operations with decimals and on place value involving decimals.

Students were able to read tables and graphs quite well. This included the ability to represent data in a variety of forms as well as to interpret their meaning. They experienced some difficulty, however, when abstract symbols were introduced. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.6

That primary teachers increase their use of problems involving the collection and use of real-life data, provide students with examples of a greater variety of modes of representing such data, and place greater emphasis on methods of interpretation.

Students did well on questions involving the recognition of lines of symmetry and congruent figures. They struggled with items involving the rotation of three dimensional objects. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.7

That primary teachers spend more time on spatial relationships, using transformations of solid objects.

On the free response questions, students did relatively well on most questions, demonstrating that they tried hard and made serious attempts. Achievement in mathematics ranged from poor to excellent, with overall results being satisfactory.

The Interpretation Panel made the following observations about the nature of some of the responses and misconceptions that were demonstrated:

• students often do not show their work, even when asked
• when students illustrated fractions using diagrams, they often did not partition them proportionately
• when some students either read or drew bar graphs, they did not attend to consistent patterns used to distinguish one category of result from another
• many students experienced difficulty in calculating elapsed time involving hours and minutes (e.g., 07:00 minus one hour and 30 minutes)
• often students completed only part of some word problems
• most students did not understand the relationship between millimetres and metres

Given these results, it is recommended

Recommendation 8.1

That primary teachers give more direction and practice to students on responding to questions by reading directions carefully, showing their work, and explaining themselves fully.

Student performance on the Grade 7 multiple choice mathematics items makes it evident that students require additional time working on multi-step word problems. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.8

That intermediate teachers emphasize to a greater extent techniques for solving multi-step word problems, incorporating problem-solving strategies for problems related to real-world situations.

Students did considerably better on items involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication of decimals. However, all questions involving division were done poorly. It is clear that teachers need to spend more time in providing students with a conceptual understanding of the division of decimals, perhaps through use of manipulatives and the number line. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 4.9

That intermediate teachers spend more time in providing students with a conceptual understanding of the division of decimals.

Although most items involving the addition and subtraction of fractions were done relatively well, many students were unable to subtract a fraction from a whole number. It is important that, even though there is not a great focus on common fractions in the current curriculum, sufficient time be spent on operations with common fractions, and that manipulatives be used to teach the concepts involved. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.10

That intermediate teachers spend more time teaching operations with common fractions, and that manipulatives be used to teach the concepts involved.

Students frequently ignored negative signs when calculating products and dividends. Although this topic was new at the Grade 7 level in the last mathematics curriculum revision, the change was introduced five years ago. The evidence strongly suggests that integers are not being appropriately taught in a significant number of classrooms. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.11

That intermediate teachers place greater emphasis on teaching operations with integers, particularly where negative numbers are involved.

Most students were able to translate from a simple word statement to an equivalent algebraic expression. However, they experienced difficulty in cases where the wording was other than simple and straight-forward. Although most students demonstrated a very basic understanding of expressions involving variables, that understanding did not appear to be comprehensive. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.13

That intermediate teachers provide students with more practice in translating words to expressions with examples that re-order word descriptions in a variety of ways.

11.1.3.1 Recommendations to Teachers of Mathematics 10

Students in Mathematics 10 performed at satisfactory or better levels on most topics.

The Interpretation Panel was particularly pleased with results from the data analysis strand and hypothesized that, due to their relevance, these topics may be retained more effectively by students. Students also demonstrated a strong understanding of the items measuring proof, and achieved at a satisfactory level on those involving similar triangles, and properties of isosceles triangles and transversals of lines.

Topics rated less than satisfactory included operations with whole numbers, and analytic geometry. The panel suggested that teachers begin the year with a review of whole number operations, including order of operations. It also suggested that teachers place greater emphasis on this topic in Grade 9 and include a review in Grade 10. Further, it suggested that greater use of manipulatives be made for teaching concepts in this area. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 4.14

That teachers place greater emphasis on analytic geometry in Grade 9 and include a review of this topic in Grade 10. Greater use of manipulatives is needed in teaching concepts in this area.

The panel suggested that more time be spent on measurement, that greater use be made of manipulatives in this area, and that time be spent using a "hands-on" approach. In addition, greater emphasis needs to be placed on quadratic functions. Students experienced difficulties both in factoring quadratic expressions and in solving equations and inequalities involving them.

Students did well on items involving laws of exponents. Most also understood how to simplify expressions using the correct order of operations. However, where the order of operations included negative signs and parentheses, they did poorly. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 4.15

That junior secondary mathematics teachers place greater emphasis on the order of operations involving negative numbers and the use of parentheses.

Students did not do well on items testing probability. For example, few answered questions involving random selection of a single event correctly. These results indicate that either probability is not taught at all in classrooms or is not taught effectively. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.16

That junior secondary mathematics teachers make greater use of manipulatives with hands-on activities in teaching probability in the classroom.

There may well be a need for greater teacher in-service opportunities and for more resource materials for the teaching of this topic. The ministry and school districts should investigate the extent of such need and provide appropriate remedies as necessary.

11.1.3.2 Recommendations to Teachers of Mathematics 10A

The results for Mathematics 10A were somewhat more varied that those for Mathematics 10, with several marginal and weak ratings from the Interpretation Panel. Students did relatively well on straight-forward questions involving conversions of fractions to decimals and vice versa, and on one step word problems. However, most were unable to correctly answer questions which involved more than one step or which presented information in a non-routine format. Teachers need to focus more attention on the teaching of simple interest and other applications involving percent.

Students did not do well on items testing probability. For example, few answered questions involving random selection of a single event correctly. These results indicate that either probability is not taught at all in classrooms or is not taught effectively. Teachers should use manipulatives with hands-on activities in teaching probability in the classroom.

Students demonstrated a basic understanding of the coordinates of a point in the plane. However, their understanding of basic concepts of trigonometry and properties of triangles was poor, illustrating that trigonometry is not being taught effectively in Math 10A classrooms. This result is disappointing in view of the importance of this topic in the trades, technical areas, and other activities not involving university preparation. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.17

That increased attention be directed in junior secondary toward teaching topics of probability and right-triangle trigonometry.

Students did very poorly on the items in the Measurement strand, and the Interpretation Panel rated performance as weak. Most students were unable to calculate areas of figures or the volumes of solids.

Overall, these results point out a need for teachers of Math 10A to spend more time with students in solving practical everyday problems, using hands-on activities. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 4.18

That teachers of Mathematics 10A place greater emphasis on the use of hands-on activities, particularly as vehicles for improving students' capabilities in solving practical everyday problems.

Compared to secondary teachers, elementary teachers made greater use of assessment information in diagnosing learning problems of students and in planning for future lessons. Given the importance of these uses it is recommended

Recommendation 9.2

That teachers of secondary mathematics make greater use of assessment information for diagnosing student learning problems and for course planning.

A considerable number of Math 10 and Math 10A students left out steps or approaches to questions in their answers to the free response questions. Students did poorly on questions involving problem-solving techniques, estimation skills, interpretation of misleading graphs, and finding equations from their graphical representation. It is recommended

Recommendation 8.2

That junior secondary teachers expose students to a variety of mathematics problems, involving various methods of finding solutions.

Across grade levels, students who were more successful than others came from classrooms in which greater focus was given to showing students how to do math problems, administering tests and quizzes, and assigning homework and discussing results. Correspondingly, there was less time spent overall on math projects, working in small groups, copying notes from the board, and checking each other's homework.

These results do not prove that the latter activities are ineffective learning strategies. Rather, they suggest that the frequency of occurrence and the time allocated to these various activities should be balanced according to the findings. Given the results, it is therefore recommended

Recommendation 6.1

That while teachers at all levels should continue to use a variety of learning strategies and activities in their classrooms, there should be a focus on showing students how to do math problems, administering quizzes and tests, assigning homework, and discussing results of homework assignments in class.

Students were strongest in their quantification of time, temperature, and mass when they were presented as a single factor. Achievement dropped as the question became more complex.

Grade 4 students were weakest in estimating mass. It is alarming that the lowest achievement was on an item that asked students to give the most likely body weight of a ten year old student (their own age, or very close to it). The past three science assessments have recommended that students receive more experience measuring real objects with metric measuring devices. The Interpretation Panel stressed the importance of estimation as a concept and recommended that it be taught often and reinforced as much as possible in science activities.

The Interpretation Panel recommended that the skills of estimating and using metric measurement receive more time and practice in elementary classrooms. This recommendation has been made on the previous three science assessments, and it is again recommended here

Recommendation 5.1

That primary teachers provide students with more opportunity to use metric instruments to measure mass, volume, and area, as well as time and temperature.

With the increased emphasis on all areas of the curriculum other than science in recent years in most classrooms in British Columbia and an apparent emphasis on language arts, it is alarming that the Mean Percent Correct for Grade 4 students was only 61% in Communication. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.2

That primary teachers provide students with more opportunities to communicate about science by presenting and explaining science topics, objects, and events using a variety of media suitable to their age and grade. Students should also prepare and interpret graphs, charts, maps and diagrams.

Many students had difficulty making appropriate inferences, possibly because of lack of experience in appropriate activities. Hands on, active science provides much-needed experiences for students and helps them to develop the capabilities they need for competently managing the inferential process. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.3

That primary teachers provide students with more active involvement in hands on science and experiments to build the experiences necessary for making inferences in science-based situations.

In terms of specific areas of weakness, the Interpretation Panel rated student performance as weak or marginal in a number of areas. Based on the decline in achievement and the ratings from the 1991 panel, performance is also demonstrably weak or marginal in other areas.

Grade 7 students experienced difficulty in dealing with questions requiring them to interpret graphs. Their low performance in this regard leads to the recommendation

Recommendation 5.9

That intermediate teachers provide students with more practice interpreting graphs which require interpolation.

Further, since it is apparent that students had considerable difficulty with items requiring them to interpret tables and symbols, it is also recommended

Recommendation 5.10

That intermediate teachers provide students with more practice interpreting tables and symbols.

Recommendation 5.11

That intermediate teachers provide students with more practice interpreting graphs which require interpolation and the use of the y-axis to determine the correct answer.

Student achievement in Experimentation was 7% below that of the 1991 Assessment (see Chapter 7). The 1991 Interpretation Panel rated this area as Weak and made a recommendation that more hands on experimental activities be encouraged. It seems obvious from the decreased student achievement in this objective that this recommendation was not acted upon. The 1995 Interpretation Panel supported the recommendation

Recommendation 5.12

That intermediate teachers place greater emphasis on having students design and conduct more hands on experiments.

Also, there is concern about the level of student involvement with experiments and the instruction of safety issues pertaining to the experiments. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.14

That intermediate teachers provide students with more practice with hands on experiments, emphasize safety, and make safety contextually relevant for students.

Two specific content areas in which students floundered are geology and life sciences. It is recommended

Recommendation 5.15

That intermediate teachers provide more instructional emphasis on geological processes and terminology.

Recommendation 5.16

That teachers provide more instructional emphasis on the concepts and terminology of the life sciences.

In particular, there was substantial confusion among Grade 7 students regarding vocabulary with respect to microscopic life. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.17

That intermediate teachers emphasize to a greater extent the topic of microscopic life.

As in previous science assessments, student exposure to a variety of teaching activities appears to be associated with higher achievement than student exposure to predominately the same teaching strategy. Much of the literature about differing learning styles and effective schools has indicated that variety is a key ingredient in effective student learning. The results of this assessment tend to reinforce that concept. It is therefore recommended, as it was recommended in the 1986 and 1991 assessments,

Recommendation 6.2

That intermediate teachers enlarge and improve their repertoire of strategies and methods for teaching science.

Teachers cannot, of course, implement this recommendation by themselves. Appropriate support from the ministry, from school districts, and from universities is needed in the form of adequate funding and the provision of suitable professional development, pre-service programs, and graduate course offerings.

As in Grade 4 and Grade 7, there was a decrease in student achievement compared to 1991. The decline at the Grade 10 level, however, was slight. It appears that the overall substantial decline in student achievement that has been noted in Grade 4 and 7 has not continued into the junior secondary level. There appears to be an increase in the Goal B (Science Processes) area, and a decline in the Goal C (Scientific Knowledge) and Goal D (Cognitive Processes) areas. Overall, though, performance at this level is satisfactory and there are only two recommendations. These are with respect to Earth/Space content and safety issues.

Recommendation 5.20

That teachers ensure a balance of content in Science 10 by providing more instructional emphasis on earth/space sciences.

It was clear from the results that students lacked familiarity with what constitutes safe practice with respect to materials, equipment, and techniques. These are important considerations which have ramifications for life outside of the classroom and the school. Accordingly, it is recommended

Recommendation 5.21

That junior secondary science teachers place a high emphasis on the safe use of equipment, materials, and techniques to ensure that students develop appropriate life skills.

It was clear from the student achievement results that much needs to be done in the teaching of science in the classrooms of British Columbia. This is particularly true at the primary and intermediate levels. Activity-based science should be on the timetable of every student from Kindergarten to Grade 10, and should also appear somewhere in a student's final two years. All teachers, including those who teach activity-based science in an integrated fashion, should formally recognize, plan, and document their science activities, components, and programs so that it is clear that science is being taught for an appropriate period of time. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.23

That teachers, including those who teach activity-based science in an integrated fashion, formally recognize, plan, and document their science activities, components, and programs so that it is clear that science is being taught for an appropriate period of time.

Substantial numbers of students in this province are lacking in hands-on science experiences and do not seem to be experiencing science resources and learning aids such as library books, demonstrations, movies, videotapes, computers, or field trips. This is not a situation in keeping with the intents of the provincial curriculum for any grade or with the kind of active learning required for students to gain satisfactory knowledge and skills. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 3.2

That teachers provide students with more opportunities to engage in varied science experiences.
 

Analysis of student achievement according to the timetable pattern in secondary schools revealed consistent results in both subjects. In almost every case, students in all-year programs outscored students on semester timetables, who, in turn, outscored students taking science in a quarter system.

Within the semester system, students who took mathematics or science in the first semester consistently outscored those in the second semester. However, it must be remembered that these survey instruments were administered in May, and students in the second semester had not yet completed their mathematics or science courses.

Students who took mathematics or science in the second quarter were consistently the bottom scorers, lower even than the fourth-quarter students for whom opportunity to learn was a definite disadvantage. In some cases, the differences between the second-quarter students and the all-year students were very large.

It appears that the hypothesized benefits of semester and quarter systems, in terms of student achievement, are not being realized in mathematics and science in British Columbia. In fact, it appears that students on semester and quarter systems may actually be disadvantaged in the area of mathematics achievement as measured by this assessment. Since a large number of schools are adopting alternative timetable patterns, and many schools and districts are contemplating changes, the ministry should take rapid steps to investigate further the effects of various timetable systems on the achievement of students in order to enable informed choices by administrative decision-makers. It is recommended

Recommendation 6.3

That the Ministry of Education investigate further the effects of various timetable systems on the achievement of students in order to enable informed choices by administrative decision-makers.

One thing that could be done quite rapidly is to confirm that such difficulties exist by reanalysing past assessment data where the questions that were asked of the students and the method of administration allows for such analyses to be validly performed.

It was clear in the Grade 4 science panel, and also to some extent in the Grade 7 science panel, that panelists did not have a common understanding of key terms. Panels of this nature require clear, operational definitions of key terms, along with sufficient examples to enable them to operate from a common understanding.

In addition, panelists need to understand that achievement is being rated from a PROGRAM perspective, not a STUDENT perspective. Assessments in British Columbia are designed to be program level (or subject-level), rather than student-level, assessments. Judgments need to be made about program outcomes, not student outcomes, despite the fact that the evidence used to make the judgments about programs comes from student information, For panelists to make judgments about programs, the operational definition of minimally acceptable and desirable must be based upon what a program should accomplish, not upon what is expected from students, considering what the program is doing, or designed to be doing. The basis for setting the standard is whether or not the PROGRAM should accomplish something.

Panels appeared to differ markedly in their operational definitions, as did individuals within each panel. Indeed, at times, the discussions within the panels would switch from one frame of reference (STUDENTS) to the other (PROGRAM) depending on the item under consideration. This lack of consistent, clearly articulated operational definitions for minimally acceptable and desirable led to problems which affected the panels differently. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.8 That, in future assessments, Interpretation Panels be provided with explicit operational definitions and examples of key terms, and that sufficient time be allowed to ensure that all panelists are operating from a common understanding of those terms.

The ministry must ensure that future panels receive a clear written operational definition of all terms used in the interpretation process, particularly minimally acceptable and desirable, and that sufficient time is spent to enable all panelists to share a common understanding of each term.

Provincially, and not including independent schools, there were 1,102 schools eligible to participate in the Grade 4 component of the assessment. Most of these schools were also eligible to participate in the Grade 7 component, for which there were 964 eligible schools. There were 275 schools eligible to participate in the Grade 10 component; some of these were also eligible for the Grade 7 component.

The vast majority (93%) of schools had Grade 4 school participation rates over 75%. A similarly high percentage (94%) of schools had student participation rates over 75% in Grade 7.

At the Grade 10 level, 59.3% of the schools had student participation rates over 75%, a substantial reduction from the student participation rates of the lower grades. Only 3.3% (nine schools) had 100% of their students participate in the assessment in Grade 10, compared to 12.1% and 13.2%, respectively, of the Grade 4 and Grade 7 schools.

Provincially, 90% of Grade 4 students, 90% of Grade 7 students, and 75% of Grade 10 students participated in the assessment. Nearly two-thirds of the districts had over 90% student participation in Grade 4 (62.7% of the districts) and Grade 7 (66.7% of the districts). Only one district (1.3%) had that level of student participation in Grade 10.

The relatively low levels of Grade 10 student participation are of concern in that they may render non-comparable the assessment results for a school or district. It is imprudent to compare the results of a district with nearly 100% participation to the results of a district with, say, only a 50 or 60% participation rate. Given the cost of an assessment, and the kinds of decisions in which assessment information is used, it is essential that participation rates be sufficiently high to allow for meaningful analysis and comparison. Accordingly, it is recommended

Recommendation 2.1

That the Ministry of Education implement monitoring and follow-up procedures suitable for ensuring that all schools achieve participation rates of at least 85%.

Requiring student names and teacher names on assessment booklets/answer sheets and questionnaires, and requiring make-up sessions for absent students, would assist in establishing suitable follow-up capability in the case of insufficient or faulty data.

It is also recommended

Recommendation 8.7

That all teachers set an appropriate scene for administration of program assessment instruments and impress upon students the purposes of such assessments and the importance of trying their best.

11.2.4.1 Recommendations About Teachers of Grade 7 Mathematics

The Grade 7 results give cause for concern regarding students' understanding of many of the important dimensions of the mathematics curriculum. The highest rating awarded Grade 7 student performance was satisfactory; the vast majority of ratings were either marginal or weak.

Achievement declined on the majority of items in five of the six reporting categories. These results show significant drops in achievement involving calculation with whole and rational numbers. In addition, students were less successful in answering questions involving area, perimeter, and volume, as well as on several geometric concepts.

Similar concerns were expressed by the Interpretation Panel during its deliberations on changes for a number of sample items. It questioned whether the increased use of calculators in classrooms resulted in lower scores on calculation questions, given that their use was not permitted on these questions. The panel was also concerned about the poor problem-solving skills demonstrated by students.

Overall, it is clear that much greater attention needs to be paid to the development of suitable mathematics understanding in the intermediate years. Greater emphasis needs to be focussed on the areas of weakness identified here. In particular, more conceptual understanding of mathematics principles and operations needs to be instilled in intermediate students. The results are so generally decreased from those in the 1990 assessment that it is difficult to formulate specific recommendations. It is recommended

Recommendation 7.1

That the Ministry of Education investigate the reasons for the marked decline in students' achievement in mathematics at the Grade 7 level and institute measures designed to raise students' understanding of mathematics to a more satisfactory level.

Part of the investigation might address the lack of a common mathematics textbook or small number of textbooks at the Grade 7 level and the relationship that such a lack has to the current situation. In addition, attention should be focussed on in-service activities and resource packages for teaching integer concepts, given that this topic is a relatively recent addition to the curriculum and may not yet be taught appropriately.

The evidence strongly suggests that integers are not being appropriately taught in a significant number of classrooms. It is recommended

Recommendation 4.12

That the Ministry of Education and school districts ensure that sufficient in-service opportunities and resource materials related to operations with integers are available to intermediate teachers.

11.2.4.2 Mathematics 10A Recommendations

Trigonometry is not being taught effectively in Math 10A classrooms. This result is disappointing in view of the importance of this topic in the trades, technical areas, and other activities not involving university preparation. In addition to Recommendation 4.17 above, it is recommended

Recommendation 4.18

That the Ministry of Education and/or school districts develop resource packages and in-service opportunities relating to applications in the areas of probability and right-triangle trigonometry.

Teachers of both Grade 10 mathematics courses found the teaching of computers and problem solving to be very difficult. Fewer than 17% of them found these topics to be easy or very easy to teach. Given the importance of these topics, it is recommended

Recommendation 9.1

That the Ministry of Education and school districts provide teachers of Math 10 and Math 10A in-service and training in the teaching of problem solving, and in the integrated use of computers for the teaching of mathematics.

11.2.4.3 Recommendations About Teachers of Mathematics at all Levels

It was recommended earlier that secondary teachers make greater use of assessment information in diagnosing learning problems of students and in course planning. To facilitate achievement of this objective, it is also recommended

Recommendation 9.3

That school districts and the Ministry of Education provide teachers with in-service opportunities and resource packages related to using assessment information for diagnosing student learning problems and for course planning.

The use of computers in the classroom seriously lags behind that of calculators and the level of computer availability in homes. This is particularly evident in Grade 10, where the results indicate a surprisingly low proportion of students who claimed they used computers in the Grade 10 mathematics classroom. This situation may be due to a number of factors; for example, limited access to computers in the mathematics classroom, teacher inexperience in their use, and limited availability of effective software at this level. Nonetheless, this low level of use constitutes a shortcoming which needs to be addressed through the provision of teacher in-service on the integrated use of computers in the mathematics classroom and increased resources for hardware and software. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 3.1

That the Ministry of Education provide additional resources focussed on the integrated use of computers in the mathematics classroom.

 

The responses of mathematics teachers to questions asking how much weight they gave to various sources of information collected for assessment purposes revealed a number of differences among the weights given at the different levels. Elementary teachers assigned the most weight to information based on observations of students, responses of students in class, and how well students did on projects or practical/lab assignments. The least weights were assigned to standardized tests produced outside of school and to teacher-made multiple-choice, true-false, or matching tests.

Teachers of Mathematics 10 and Mathematics 10A assigned less weight to most categories than did elementary teachers. The greatest weights were for teacher-made short-answer or essay tests and for performance on homework assignments; the lowest weights were for standardized tests and teacher-made multiple-choice tests.

The greatest differences between weights assigned by elementary and secondary teachers were for observations of students in class and for responses of students in class. The percentages of teachers who assigned a lot of weight to these were 84% and 79% at Grade 4; 60% and 55% at Grade 7; 22% and 21% at Mathematics 10; and 31% and 25% at Mathematics 10A respectively. A major reason for these differences is likely the extent to which most teachers at the elementary level have an opportunity to know and observe a single classroom of students compared to the several different classes taught by secondary teachers working with a rotating timetable.

Given that the provincial curriculum stresses active learning, and that direction from the Ministry of Education is for the use of criterion-referenced assessment, it is increasingly important that teachers make extensive use observational techniques in their assessment of students. Therefore, it is recommended

Recommendation 9.1

That the Ministry of Education and school districts provide teachers with training opportunities in the use of observational techniques for the assessment of students and that these techniques be used more extensively in classrooms, particularly those of Grade 7, Mathematics 10, and Mathematics 10A.

11.2.5.1 Recommendations About Teachers of Grade 4 Science

Only 61% of Grade 4 students correctly answered a question about procedures for tasting an unknown substance. This lack of knowledge of safe procedures could be life-threatening for students; that over a third of Grade 4 students do not know the proper procedure should be considered appalling. Given the seriousness of the above result, it is recommended

Recommendation 5.5

That the Ministry of Education develop learning resources based on current symbols and safety standards in order that primary teachers have appropriate materials for teaching safety procedures to all students.

Compared to the 1991 assessment, there has been an overall decrease in student achievement in science at the Grade 4 level. It was reported in the 1991 assessment that there had been a decrease in achievement levels between 1986 and 1991. It appears that the decline noted in 1991 has not been stopped, and primary students in British Columbia continue to lose ground in science.

The final goal ratings of the 1991 Grade 4 Interpretation Panel, rather than those of the 1995 panel, should be the basis for drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of the primary science program for 1995. There was clear concern in 1991 about student achievement in science at the primary grades; there should be as much, if not more, concern now. The results indicate that achievement has declined since 1991 and that science is still not being taught appropriately in many primary and Grade 4 classrooms of British Columbia. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.6

That the Ministry of Education investigate the reasons for the marked decline in students' achievement in science at the Grade 4 level and institute measures designed to raise students' understanding of science.

The fragmented nature of the primary science curriculum is a major contributor to the lack of appropriate science teaching in many classrooms; it is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.7

That the Ministry of Education charge the Curriculum Development Branch with the responsibility of developing a more common curriculum for primary science, and that appropriate resources be allocated for the implementation of such curriculum.

11.2.5.2 Recommendations About Teachers of Grade 7 Science

As in Grade 4, there has been a decrease in student achievement at the Grade 7 level compared with the 1991 assessment results. The 1991 assessment also reported a decrease from the level of achievement demonstrated in the 1986 assessment. It appears that the decline noted in 1991 has not been stopped, and intermediate students in British Columbia continue to score lower in science assessments of this type, although the decline does not appear to be as great as in the primary area.

There should be much concern for the intermediate science program. Actual student performance has gone down from 1991 in all goal areas. Based on the Grade 7 results, the alarm that was raised in 1991 should be more strongly raised today. The results indicate that not enough science is being taught appropriately in some intermediate classrooms in British Columbia. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.19

That the Ministry of Education charge the Curriculum Development Branch with the responsibility of developing a more common curriculum for intermediate science, and that appropriate resources be allocated for the implementation of such curriculum.

Further, since these sorts of activities require equipment and supplies, and specialized knowledge, it is also recommended

Recommendation 5.13

That the Ministry of Education and school districts provide intermediate teachers with professional development activities and resources to increase their ability to assist students with designing and conducting more hands on experiments in science classes.

For Grade 7, it was noted that performance in the skills and processes of science was less than desirable. This matter needs to be addressed; it is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.18

That the Ministry of Education and school districts ensure that sufficient in-service opportunities and resource materials related to "hands-on" science activities are available to intermediate teachers so that opportunities are provided to students for the development of the skills and processes of science.

The teachers who coded the free response items noted that while some students answered the questions in good paragraph form, many others displayed poor sentence structure, poor spelling, and poor paragraphing skills. The questions on the topics of ecology, astronomy, and biology were felt to be generally well answered, while students' knowledge of the topics of physics, energy, and chemistry appeared to be weak. It is recommended

Recommendation 8.3

That intermediate teachers ensure that the topics of optics and electricity are taught.

Recommendation 8.4

That intermediate teachers place greater emphasis on students' spelling and vocabulary in relation to specific topics.

Recommendation 8.5

That intermediate teachers place greater emphasis on students' sentence structure when answering free-response questions.

Recommendation 8.6

That intermediate teachers give students more practice in designing and setting up experiments/investigations with materials, procedures, and conclusions.

11.2.5.3 Recommendation About Teachers of Grade 10 Science

By itself, Recommendation 3.2 above (see Recommendations to Teachers of Grade 10 Science) has little value. Teachers cannot provide these opportunities in a vacuum. Appropriate levels of support must be in place at school and district levels if teachers are to improve classroom situations. It is therefore also recommended

Recommendation 3.3

That the Ministry of Education and school districts make funding available to develop local expertise in a variety of teaching and learning strategies, and to provide the necessary learning resources, materials and equipment, and field trips for an effective science program.

11.2.5.4 Recommendations About Teachers of Science at All Levels

All teachers, including those who teach activity-based science in an integrated fashion, should formally recognize, plan, and document their science activities, components, and programs so that it is clear that science is being taught for an appropriate period of time. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.22

That the Ministry of Education provide suitable in-service opportunities for teachers with respect to the implementation of the new elementary science instructional resources package.

The use of computers in science was reported to be more common in Grade 7 than in either Grade 4 or Grade 10, which appeared to be very similar. More students now than in 1991 reported that they used a computer. Despite this increase in reported usage, the fact that over half the Grade 7s and almost two-thirds of the Grades 4 and 10 students said that they "never" use computers in science is a concern, given the potential value of this teaching and learning tool. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 3.4

That the Ministry of Education provide additional resources focussed on the integrated use of computers in the science classroom.

The student achievement results and the stated inadequacy of science coordination make it clear that teachers need support with respect to providing quality science programs. The need for support in this area needs to be more fully examined by both the Ministry of Education and school district administrators. Districts and schools that have coordination should be examined as potential models for province wide implementation. Science coordination was highlighted as a weak area in 1991, and the situation has marginally improved at best. With the implementation of the new curriculum, coordination is an area of prime importance and needs to be addressed immediately. A quality elementary science program producing scientifically literate citizens will not occur without substantial coordination support at all levels. It is strongly recommended

Recommendation 10.4

That the Ministry of Education provide funding to guarantee a coordinator of elementary science in every school district, and that school districts recognize and support coordination at the school level.

While perhaps not as serious as the situation in elementary schools, the levels of secondary science support at school and district levels are reported to have decreased since 1991. The extent to which coordination is viewed as adequate has correspondingly decreased. The arguments in favor of designated science coordinators/specialists for the secondary level are sufficiently similar to those in favor of elementary coordinators to warrant the recommendation

Recommendation 10.5

That the Ministry of Education provide funding to guarantee a coordinator of secondary science in every school district, and that school districts recognize and support coordination at the school level.

The two foregoing recommendations do not necessarily imply that there be two science coordinators in each district. In many districts, elementary and secondary science coordination might reasonably be carried out by one person, or by two school-based teachers providing part-time district coordination. Whatever the arrangement, the teacher data and the decline in student achievement in the three grades assessed in 1995 argue strongly for immediate attention to the issue of science coordination.

Budget constraints in the British Columbia school system are a reality; however, as science and technology gain in importance in society, the teaching of science also starts to demand greater attention. In order to move ahead in science education, the Ministry of Education, school districts, and schools must look at their spending priorities and provide greater support for all aspects of the science program. The trend towards hands-on science cannot take place in science labs in the absence of necessary equipment, supplies, and teacher time. Apart from possible questions around safety issues and concerns about not having a certified laboratory assistant on site at all times, it is apparent that in the growing complexity of teaching, science teachers at all grade levels need the sort of support provided by laboratory assistants or technicians. Accordingly, it is recommended

Recommendation 10.6

That schools and school districts provide greater support for science, particularly in terms of equipment and supplies budgets, and laboratory assistance.

It is clear that improvements in safety concerns have been made since the last assessment. However, in view of the percentage of classrooms reported by teachers to still have unaddressed concerns, and in light of new curricula in all sciences at all levels, there is a strong need to ensure that appropriate direction regarding safety is being provided. Accordingly, it is recommended

Recommendation 10.7

That the Ministry of Education revise the Science Safety Manual.

Teachers must be provided with the materials and equipment as well as the print and audio visual learning resources necessary to facilitate giving students these experiences. The ministry and school districts need to provide the necessary funding and personnel to enable teachers to implement this recommendation. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 5.4

That the Ministry of Education and school districts provide appropriate funding, personnel, and professional development activities to enable primary teachers to increase their capabilities to provide students with more active involvement in hands on science and experiments.
 

Most science teachers have had at least one methods course in the teaching of science. However, 20% of the teachers at Grade 4, 28% of the teachers at Grade 7, and 9% of the Grade 10 teachers have never had even one science methods course. It should be of major concern that such substantial percentages of teachers of elementary school science have never had even one methods course in the teaching of science. Universities should ensure that all elementary teachers take at least one science teaching methods course. It is recommended

Recommendation 10.1

That universities in British Columbia make mandatory at least one science teaching methods course for all students in elementary teacher education programs.

Further, elementary teachers should have opportunities to specialize in teaching elementary school science and to take advanced methods and science-oriented content courses to ensure that the level of science being taught in the elementary classrooms of British Columbia is appropriate. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 10.2

That teacher education programs provide practicing elementary school teachers with the opportunity to take advanced methods and content-oriented courses, and to follow a specialty in teaching elementary science.

Of the four main academic subjects, science is preferred least by elementary teachers, likely reflecting their lack of preparation in science content and methods courses. Teacher education programs are currently differentiated into primary and intermediate programs, and there is a view that there are primary and intermediate teachers, rather than elementary teachers prepared and qualified to teach all subjects from Kindergarten through Grade 7. The result is that primary teachers assigned to teaching intermediate grades are often not sufficiently prepared to be confident with the intermediate subject matter and methodology. The reverse is often true in the case of intermediate teachers newly assigned to the primary level. Given the need to have as much flexibility in staff assignments as possible in times of economic restraint and teacher union agreements, it is perhaps time to examine present elementary teacher pre-service programs to determine the feasibility and desirability of preparing elementary teachers as K--7 teachers rather than as K--3 or 4--7 teachers. It is therefore recommended

Recommendation 10.3

That faculties of education examine their elementary teacher pre-service programs to determine the feasibility and desirability of preparing elementary teachers for all K-7 subjects rather than concentrating on a narrower focus. This examination should consider an expanded focus on the content and methodology of science.