This study examined the efficacy of standardized assessments in an inquiry-based science classroom. It compared student performance on multiple choice questions versus free response questions following instruction on the same content. Results showed that students performed better on free response questions, where they could explain their understanding rather than select a single correct answer. The implications are that free response questions may better measure student learning and mastery in an inquiry-based classroom compared to multiple choice. However, the study had limitations such as a small sample size and differences between the pre- and post-tests that were administered.

1. ALIGNING ASSESSMENTS TO
BETTER MEASURE LEARNING
Multiple Choice vs. Free Response
Assessments in an Inquiry-Based
Science Classroom
A’Rynn Davis
Fall 2012

2. Could this be our future?

3. Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this study is to address
the efficacy of standard-based
assessments in a science classroom
centered on inquiry-based instruction
To what extent does curriculum align
with standardized assessments?

4. Important Questions
Which type of assessment best measures
learning in an inquiry based science
classroom?
To what extent do commercial objective tests
measure student understanding and growth?
To what extent do subjective and objective
assessments accurately measure mastered
concepts in an inquiry based science
classroom?

5. Research Setting & Participants
Liberty Grove Elementary
40 Fifth grade student participants
Teacher acted as the researcher.

6. Important Literature
Assessments in an inquiry based classroom.
– Experts collaborate to work towards ensuring that
assessments, standards, and classroom teaching
correlate together (“Connecting Science”, 2010).
• For assessments and teaching to be effective, teachers
must understand the standards and how to implement
them in everyday learning.
• Teachers should be included in the creating and scoring
of standardized tests in order to improve professional
development and student performance.
– Standard-based instruction should be able to be
used directly to direct instruction and student
learning (Rothman, 2002).

7. Important Literature
Standardized testing
No Child Left Behind (Fulmer, 2010).
– concentrates on states being required to create
rigorous standards for content and standardized testing
– implies that student success relies on the degree to
which the test measures learning and the method of
instruction
– measures student success and makes teachers more
accountable
Standardized tests have focused on standardizing
the content rather than diverse assessment and
instruction (Sywerson, 2008)

8. Research Design
Participants Ethnicity
included White
African American
-English as a Second Hispanic
Language
Students (ESL)
-Gifted and Talented 40%
-Special Education 42%
18%

9. Research Design
Students in the Students in the test
control group group
– Received a pretest – Received a pretest
– Taught the same – Taught the same
content with the content with the
same instruction as same instruction as
the test group the control group
– Received a post test – Received a post test
with multiple choice with free response
questions questions

10. Results
Items number two and nine were most
missed in the multiple choice group.
– 50% of students missed number two
– 60% missed number nine.

11. Results
• Students in the free response group were more
successful.
• Most students who missed this question in the
control group chose C: “As the angle
increases, the force applied to the skateboard
decreases”.
• This is incorrect, but sounds close to what the student
may have thought before reading the choices.

12. Results
This shows that the student has an understanding of the content
and drew pictures to support.

13. Implication for Teaching
Students should be allowed the opportunity
to show what they do know and not just be
measured based on one right answer.
How much does a student know about a
process or idea can be measured when
they are able to communicate their
thoughts rather than attempt to match them
with multiple choice answers.

14. Implications for Teaching
Do teachers feel pressured to “teach to
the test” to help their students be
successful?
Could free response questions be
advantageous for students’ mastery of
content?

15. Implications for Teacing
Further measure Students’ attitudes
which types of towards tests that
students perform resemble the STAAR
better on multiple Test or other
choice tests compared standardized tests.
to free response tests. – question whether
students feel less
– compare students by frustration or anxiety if
ethnicity, age the structure of the test
groups, and by their were changed
interests

16. Limitations
The results of this study were not significant
– may have revealed better findings if the sample size was larger.
• The post-test used at the conclusion of the
content being taught included 10 questions while
the pretest had many more questions.
– This may have caused discrepancies among the mean
scores and how they are viewed.
– Student scores may have shown different results if they were
given more opportunities.

17. Limitations
Who is going to grade
these free response
questions if multiple
choice tests were
eliminated?

18. Fifth Grade Science and Math Teacher

19. Multiple Choice vs. Free Response
Assessments in an Inquiry-Based
Science Classroom