Research article Knowledge, perceptions and practice of kindergarten teachers regarding the assessment of learning when teaching Science
Published:
Dec 24, 2025
Keywords:
Pedagogical Content Knowledge melting and coagulation Kindergarten teachers learning assessment Science Knowledge, perceptions and practices of teachers
Abstract
One of the most important components of Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of teachers is the knowledge of the assessment of learning and students. This paper aims to investigate certain aspects of PCK that concern this specific component. In particular, the knowledge, perceptions and practice of two kindergarten teachers when assessing the learning of melting/coagulation in kindergarten were investigated. In the investigation of PCK, a functional model was used, which emerged from a bibliographic investigation and was improved by its application in the empirical field. The model is theoretically founded on the combination of radical and sociocultural constructivism, emphasizing the unifying nature of PCK. The case study was chosen as the method. Two Kindergarten teachers participated in the research. Data were collected through a questionnaire, a written lesson plan, videotaping of teaching and two interviews. The findings of the research showed many difficulties of the two kindergarten teachers mainly in their practice regarding the dimensions, methods, types, procedures and results of evaluation of the learning of melting/coagulation phenomena. It is concluded that the kindergarten teachers have difficulty in evaluating the learning of science concepts and phenomena, such as melting/coagulation, with consequences that make feedback and improvement of teaching difficult. It is recommended that appropriate training be conducted and supporting material be developed.
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
Ελένη. (2025). Research article Knowledge, perceptions and practice of kindergarten teachers regarding the assessment of learning when teaching Science. Dialogoi! Theory and Praxis in Education, 11, 170–194. https://doi.org/10.12681/dial.41509
- Section
- Special Theme
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Abell, S.K. (2008). Twenty Years Later: Does pedagogical content knowledge remain a useful idea? International Journal of Science Education, 30 (10), 1405 – 1416.
Appleton, Κ. & Harrison, Α. (2001). Outcomes-based Science Units that Enhance Primary and Secondary Science Teachers' PCK. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Fremantle, WA.
Aydın, E. & Mıhladız Turhan, G. (2023). Exploring primary school teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in science classes based on PCK model. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 7(3), 70-99. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202318964
Bektas, O. (2015). Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in The Physics, Chemistry, and Biology Topics. European Journal Of Physics Education, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.20308/ejpe.05030
Bell, B. & Cowie, B. (2001). The characteristics for formative assessment in science education. Science Education, 85, 536-553.
Borko, H. & Putnam, R. T. (1996). Learning to teach. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (eds.) Handbook of Educations Psychology. MacMillan.
Chin, C. (2006). Classroom interaction in science: teacher questioning and feedback to students' responses. International Journal of Science Education, 28, 11, 1315–1346.
Cochran, K.F., DeRuiter, J.A. & King, (1993). Pedagogical content knowing: An Integrative model for teacher preparation. Journal of Teacher Education, 44(4), 263-272.
Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2008). Μεθοδολογία εκπαιδευτικής έρευνας. Μεταίχμιο.
Confrey, J. (1995). How Compatible are Radical Constructivism, Sociocultural Approaches, and Social Constructivism? In In L.P. Steffe & J. Gale (eds.), Constructivism in Education. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Cowie, B. & Bell, B. (1999). A model of formative assessment in science education. Assessment in Education, 6(1), 102–116.
Earle, S. (2014). Formative and summative assessment of science in English primary schools: evidence from the Primary Science Quality Mark. Research in Science & Technological Education, 32 (2), 216–228.
Edwards, F. (2013). Quality Assessment by Science Teachers: Five Focus Areas. Science Education International, 24 (2), 212–226
Eisenhart, M. & Howe, K. (1992). Validity in Educational Research. In M. LeCompte, W. Millroy, & J. Preissle (Eds.), The Handbook of Qualitative Research in Education (pp. 642- 680). Academic Press.
Erickson, G. & Meyer, K. (1998). Performance assessment tasks in science: What are they measuring? In B. Fraser & K. Tobin (Eds.), International handbook of science education. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Falk, A. (2011). Teachers learning from professional development in elementary science: Reciprocal relations between formative assessment and pedagogical content knowledge. Science Education, 96, 265–290.
Gelbal, S. & Kelecioğlu, H. (2007). Teachers’ proficiency perceptions of about the measurement and evaluation techniques and the problems they confront. H. U. Journal of Education, 33, 135-145.
Gitomer, D. & Duschl, R. (1998). Emerging issues and practices in science assessment. In B. Fraser & K. Tobin (Eds.), International handbook of science education. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Gioka, O. (2006). Assessment for learning in physics investigations: assessment criteria, questions and feedback in marking. Physics Education, 41, 4, 341–346.
Harlen, W. (2007). The Quality of Learning: assessment alternatives for primary education (Primary Review Research Survey ¾). Cambridge: University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.
Harrison, C. and Harlen, W. (2006). 'Children's self– and peer–assessment.' In Harlen, W. (Ed) ASE Guide to Primary Science Education. Hatfield: Association for Science Education.
Hodgson, C. & Pyle, Κ. (2010). A Literature Review of Assessment for Learning in Science. Nfer.
Hondrich, A. L., Hertel, S., Adl-Amini, K. & Klieme, E. (2016). Implementing curriculum-embedded formative assessment in primary school science classrooms. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 23:3, 353-376, DOI:10.1080/0969594X.2015.1049113
Inaltekin, T. & Akcay, H. (2021). Examination the knowledge of student understanding of pre-service science teachers on heat and temperature. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 7(2), 445-478. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.1805
Leakey, A. (2001). Fantastic feedback. Primary Science Review, 68, 22–23.
Keogh, B. and Naylor, S. (1998). Teaching and learning in science using Concept Cartoons, Primary Science Review, 51, 14–16.
Le Compte, M. and Preissle, J. (1993). Ethnography and Qualitative Design in Educational Research. Academic Press Inc.
Macro, C. and McFall, D. (2004). Questions and questioning: working with young children, Primary Science Review, 83, 4–6.
Magnusson, S., Krajcik, J. & Borko, H. (1999). Nature, Sources, and Development of Pedagogical Content knowledge for Science Teaching. In Gess-Newsome, J. & Lederman, N.G. (eds.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge. Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Markwick, A., Jackson, A. and Hull, C. (2003). Improving learning using formative marking and interview assessment techniques. School Science Review, 85, 311, 49–55.
McEwan, H. & Bull, B. (1991). The Pedagogic Nature of Subject Matter Knowledge. American Educational Research Journal, 28 (2), 316-334.
Morine-Dershimer, G., & Kent, T. (1999). The complex nature and sources of teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. In J. Gess-Newsome & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge (pp. 21–50). Kluwer.
Morrison, J.A. & Lederman, N.G. (2003). Science Teachers’ Diagnosis and Understanding of Students’ Preconceptions. Sci Ed 87, 849– 867.
Naylor, S. and Keogh, B. (2007). Active assessment: thinking, learning and assessment in science, School Science Review, 88, 325, 73–79.
Nelson, M. M. & Davis, E. A. (2010). Preservice Elementary Teachers' Evaluations of Elementary Students' Scientific Models: An aspect of pedagogical content knowledge for scientific modeling. International Journal of Science Education, 34 (12), 1931–1959.
Nilsson, P. (2014). When teaching makes a difference: Developing science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through learning study. International Journal of Science Education, 36(11), 1794-1814
Park, S. & Oliver, J.S. (2007). Revisiting the Conceptualisation of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): PCK as a Conceptual Tool to Understand Teachers as Professionals. Research in Science Education, 38, 261-284.
Novak, J. D. (1993). Human constructivism: A unification of psychological and epistemological phenomena in meaning making. International Journal of Personal Construct Psychology, 6(2), 167–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/08936039308404338
Shulman, L.S. (1986). Those who understand: knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14.
Shulman, L.S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57, 1-22.
Sickel, A. J., Banilower, E. R., Carlson, J., & Driel, J. H. van. (2015). Examining PCK research in the context of current policy initiatives. In A. Berry, P. J. Friedrichsen, & J. Loughran (Eds.), Re-examining Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Science Education. Routledge.
John-Steiner, V., & Mahn, H. (1996). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational Psychologist, 31(3-4), 191–206. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3103&4_4
Stow, W. (1997). Concept mapping: a tool for self–assessment. Primary Science Review, 49, 12–15.
Συγγραφέας (2018)
Συγγραφέας και άλλοι (2014)
Von Glasersfeld, E. (1984). An Introduction to Radical Constructivism. In Watzlawick, P. (ed.), The Invented Reality: How do we know what we believe we know? (pp. 17-40). W.W. Norton & Company.
Von Glasersfeld, E. (1989). Constructivism in Education. In T. Husen & T. N. Postlethwaite, (eds.) (1989) The International Encyclopedia of Education, Supplement Vol.1. (pp. 162–163). Pergamon Press,.
Wertsch, J. V. & Toma, C. (1995). Discourse and Learning in the Classroom: A Sociocultural Approach. In In L.P. Steffe & J. Gale (eds.), Constructivism in Education. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
