To trust or not to trust? School-based assessment in physics high-stakes examinations in Malta

Abstract

The Learning Outcomes Framework in Malta seeks to reform the national assessment policy through a collective effort to change the assessment culture in schools (Attard Tonna & Bugeja, 2016). The new Secondary Education Certificate physics examination will consist of one written paper which will carry 70% of the marks while coursework assessed by teachers will carry the remaining 30%. This implies a doubling of the mark for coursework from the current 15%. Several reports have questioned the validity and reliability of coursework marks. This study sought to investigate this through a quantitative analysis of marks for the nine years included in the study accompanied by interviews with key players in the system: thirteen teachers of physics. The interviews focused on broader aspects of assessment and aimed to analyse the interviewees’ thoughts on the reliability, validity and credibility of the school-based assessment (SBA) in light of the changes to be implemented. The results show a weak to moderate positive correlation between the examination mark and the SBA score. Similar results were obtained when comparing the SBA score and the marks scored in practical-oriented questions set in the exam papers. Teachers see the practical aspect in physics as very important but have a number of concerns about its SBA.