During the past PLC (Professional Learning Community) Session, the Physics unit discussed about the possible correlation between the SPA marks of the students and the outcoming results for O Levels. We took a look at past data of students' SPA, Prelims and 'O' Levels results. Last year, there were no A1s for Physics but 34% of the students scored distinctions (all A2s). Although the correlation between SPA results and the 'O' Level results were not that obvious, we made afew discoveries:
1) Majority of the students improve in overall grade from Prelims to O Levels, with the exception of 14 students who dropped in their grades.
2) Out of the 14 students who dipped in their performance, 7 of them dropped from A1 (Prelims) to A2 (O Levels).
So the issue at hand is: how do we make our students maintain their A1s and raise the overall MSG of the cohort? I believe that SPA is one of the main component that will help the students to improve in overall performance. Our students may be good in their theory but not many are confident in their practical skills. Hence, how do we make them more confident such that by the time they sit for their SPA exams, most of them will be scoring near to full marks?
I believe that one solution would be to use rubrics/ checklist for every SPA practice. Within the past 4 years of my teaching, I have constantly 'told' and 'reminded' students ENDLESS times on what is expected for Skills 1 and 2. Of course, this was just done by talking and lecture style. I wonder how much information do they really retain as each experiment is done only once and students do end up making the same mistakes again, despite repeated reminders. Of course if time permits, then more practice on the same experiment will make their skills perfect. But due to time limitations, the use of rubrics as a form of checklist may be able to help them.
With a class of 40 in a lab, it will not be easy to use the rubrics/ checklist during the lab session to check everybody's skills. Hence, getting their friends to do some form of peer assessment during each practical session would also serve as another pair of 'eyes' in the lab. Also, I hope that when they check their friends' skills, they will also be more aware on what is expected from them.
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ThIs is very strategic. You have identified a solution to helping, not only A1, pupils close their learning gaps in a skills-based section of Physics.
ReplyDeleteA good rubrics is when pupils can use it to answer all 3 AfL questions by themselves: the rubrics tell them clearly the learning outcomes desired, they can tell from the rubrics where they are, and most importantly, the rubrics tells them how to get to the next level.
Press on to develop and use the rubrics, and let us all know the impact of it.