Examination of Experienced Chemistry Teachers’ Knowledge of Assessment about Physical-Chemical Changes on the Perspective of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract

Knowledge of assessment is a component of pedagogical content knowledge and a teacher’sunderstanding about what to assess in a topic and how to assess it. The aim of this research is to examine theknowledge of assessment of four experienced chemistry teachers in the context of physical and chemicalchanges. This qualitative research was conducted according to the case study model. The participants wereassigned purposively through the criterion sampling technique. Data analysis was performed in the light ofcontent analysis and the data were collected via observation, interview, lesson plan and exam questions. At theend of the research, it was found that the participants’ knowledge of assessment were in favor of traditionalassessment techniques although the chemistry curriculum inclined them to the alternative assessment techniques.They preferred using questions in open-ended, multiple choice, true-false, multiple choice types. Accordingly, itcan be suggested that the experienced chemistry teachers should be more aware of alternative assessmenttechniques through in-service education programs.