Portfolios : an effective way for assessing the learning of biology students

Abstract

The main aim of this dissertation was to design, produce and evaluate a Form III Biology portfolio, to see if it is a good assessment tool for Form III Biology students. This involved the identification of the skills and objectives which Form III Biology students should acquire by the end of their scholastic year, based on the Biology Curriculum. Then, a number of tasks were produced to assess whether the students have acquired these skills. For every task produced, assessment criteria were identified so that the teacher could assess the students' achievement. Self-reflective writing sheets were introduced after each task/activity to help the students reflect on their work to help them improve their learning in the future. The portfolio was critically evaluated by six Biology teachers who teach Form III students. The analysis of the results identified the advantage of using the portfolio as an assessment tool which was both formative and summative. All teachers agreed that the portfolio is an ideal tool to assess students' process of learning. Five out of six teachers would use the portfolio in their classroom as it is thorough and covers all topics. However, some teachers commented that there are various difficulties for the portfolio to be implemented in class. A common difficulty pointed out by all teachers was time restriction due to a vast Biology curriculum.