Process Skills

I have been thinking of setting targets for pupils' process skills in the science workplan. I believe that pen and pencil assessment does not show a complete picture of pupils' learning. So we need to have alternative modes of assessment.

The next question is how to assess the different skills. In my school, we have been using Science practical. The tasks set by the teachers were good. I actually wanted to set targets for individual skills such as observing, classifying, using apparatus etc.

When I sat down and analysed what are the skills being using for a particular task, I noticed that there were a number of skills involved.

For example, pupils were given 4 buttons. They were to observe and classify the buttons in any of the folliwong ways.

So in reality, when we are given a task, we always use integrated skills. So I have to set targets for integrated skills instead of specific skills.