1. The inquiry classroom What are the challenges to using IBL?
Tool IC-2 Assessing inquiry learning
© 2016 mascil project (G.A. no ). Lead partner University of Nottingham; CC-NC-SA 4.0 license granted. The project mascil has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ ).

2. Introduction
Aims
To explore the question of how we can assess student progress in inquiry classrooms.
We will:
Consider outcomes from other relevant projects such as SAILS (
Consider principles for formative assessment of inquiry learning;
Discuss how these principles can support summative assessment of inquiry learning.
A key question that many teachers ask is:
“How do we assess student progress in inquiry classrooms?”
This tool addresses the question above and supports work with both mathematics and science teachers. The tool provides some insights into the outcomes of the SAILS project ( ) that researched Strategies for Assessment of Inquiry Learning in Science and also makes reference to other several projects that have contributed to a better understanding of the assessment of inquiry learning. Discussion will focus mainly on the formative assessment of inquiry learning but this will lead to a consideration of how the principles that emerge can be used to develop summative assessment practices.

3. Formative assessment
The diagram below was developed by the PRIMAS (Promoting Inquiry in Mathematics and Science Education across Europe) project to summarise the many characteristics of an inquiry based learning classroom.
The diagram below was developed by the PRIMAS (Promoting Inquiry in Mathematics and Science Education across Europe) project to summarise the many characteristics of an inquiry based learning classroom. This provides a glimpse into what is a very complex environment; perhaps considerably more so than might be found in a ‘traditional’ classroom where teaching might be considered as having a transmission orientation (Askew et al., 1997).
(For more details of the PRIMAS project and of what inquiry learning involves then follow this link PRIMAS or consider the tool IA-1 Characterising an IBL classroom).

4. Clarifying meaning
Work in pairs (or small groups) to discuss the following concepts and record notes that clarify your understanding:
Formative assessment
Inquiry skills.
Use Handout 1: Formative assessment and inquiry to record your notes.
Firstly remind the group that this tool will, in the main, consider formative assessment of inquiry learning but this will lead to discussion about how the principles that emerge can be used to develop summative assessment practices.
Ask the teachers to work in pairs (or small groups) to discuss the following concepts and record notes that clarify their understanding:
Formative assessment
2. Inquiry skills.
They should use Handout 1: Formative assessment and inquiry to record their notes.

5. Sharing ideas
Share your ideas with the group and discuss your responses.
You might also consider some of the research-based ideas that are briefly described on the following slides.
As a group share and discuss responses. You may stimulate discussion further by referring to some of the research-based ideas that are shown on the following slides.

6. Formative assessment
We use the general term assessment to refer to all those activities undertaken by teachers—and by their students in assessing themselves—that provide information to be used as feedback to modify teaching and learning activities. Such assessment becomes formative assessment when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching to meet student needs. (Black & Wiliam, 1998, p.140)
Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2),
Formative Assessment
We use the general term assessment to refer to all those activities undertaken by teachers—and by their students in assessing themselves—that provide information to be used as feedback to modify teaching and learning activities. Such assessment becomes formative assessment when the evidence is actually used to adapt the teaching to meet student needs. (Black & Wiliam, 1998, p.140)
Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (1998b). Inside the black box: raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2),

7. Inquiry skills
Inquiry is the intentional process of diagnosing problems, critiquing experiments, and distinguishing alternatives, planning investigations, researching conjectures, searching for information, constructing models, debating with peers, and forming coherent arguments.
SAILS Report on the assessment frameworks and instruments for IBSE skills- part B, quoting (Linn and Davis, 2004)
Inquiry skills
Inquiry is the intentional process of diagnosing problems, critiquing experiments, and distinguishing alternatives, planning investigations, researching conjectures, searching for information, constructing models, debating with peers, and forming coherent arguments
SAILS Report on the assessment frameworks and instruments for IBSE skills- part B, quoting (Linn and Davis, 2004).
More about inquiry learning can also be found in the tool IA-1 Characterising an IBL classroom.

8. Identifying levels
The report of the SAILS project exemplified how we might assess four inquiry skills:
planning investigations,
developing hypotheses,
debating with peers
forming coherent arguments.
For each skill a number of different levels of execution were identified using a six-point scale. For each point on the scale a brief description of likely behaviours was developed (usually just one or two sentences).
The problem then becomes one of how we can assess learning in inquiry skills in a way that informs our judgements as teachers. The report of the SAILS project exemplified how we might assess four inquiry skills. Namely: planning investigations, developing hypotheses, debating with peers and forming coherent arguments.
The SAILS project, as did the LEMA project ( in the case of modelling in mathematics, identified a number of different levels of execution of each inquiry skill. In the case of SAILS this was a six point scale and in the case of LEMA four point scale. At each point on the scale a brief description of likely behaviours were developed (usually just one or two sentences).

9. Devising scales
Work in pairs (or small groups) to devise your own scale for one particular inquiry skill. You might work with perhaps only three points on the scale to start with. Handout 2 shows some examples of such scales. You may use this to prompt thinking if necessary.
 In this section of the session ask pairs (or small groups of teachers) to devise a scale (working with maybe only three points on the scale to start with) for one particular inquiry skill.
Handout 2: Formative assessment of inquiry skills shows some examples of such scales. You may use this to prompt thinking if it is required.

10. Further considerations
During your discussions, consider:
What questions would you use to move students from one level of progress to a more advanced level in a particular skill?
Is it better to develop statements that are task independent, or is it necessary to have task specific statements?
Part way through the discussions, ask teachers to think about:
What questions they could use to move students from one level of progress in a particular skill to the next (more advanced) level.
Whether it is better to develop statements that are task independent or necessary to have task specific statements? (Notice that Example 1 in Handout 1 refers to task specific criteria rather than generic criteria which are used in the other examples).

11. Assessment and progression
Discuss your responses to the task of developing notions of progression in inquiry. Consider how these ideas might best be used in the classroom to help with teachers’ formative assessment practices.
Discuss together:
How might the criteria devised be used summatively to report ‘levels of progress’?
What is the potential an assessment (of levels) such as this to provide scores that could be aggregated to give an overall ‘inquiry’ score?
If there is potential for this, how desirable would it be to produce such a score?’
As a group discuss responses to the task of developing notions of progression in inquiry and how these ideas might best be used in the classroom to help with teachers’ formative assessment practices.
Finally as a group discuss:
How might the criteria devised be used summatively to report ‘levels of progress’?
What is the potential of an assessment (of levels) such as this to provide scores that could be aggregated to give an overall ‘inquiry’ score?
If there is potential for this, how desirable would it be to produce such a score?’

12. Finishing off
Think about a research question you might want to explore as a group and plan how to do this. Carry out the planned activity individually with a student group. Be ready to report back to the group next time on how this worked.
Finish off by bringing the group together to think about a research question they might want to pursue, such as – for example – the use of a ‘progression grid’ to support their formative assessment of inquiry skills. They may wish to also consider how to use their grid to assess written work in a summative sense.
Ask the teachers to explore their agreed research question individually with a student group and be ready to report back to the group next time on how this worked.