Bystanders no more : science assessment strategies for students with a profile of dyslexia

Abstract

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that is associated with poor reading and writing skills. At the same time students with a profile of dyslexia have other talents such as being creative and good problem-solvers that enable them to excel in science subjects. However, when it comes to achievement in assessment tasks, students with a profile of dyslexia tend to perform worse than their non-dyslexic peers. This is an issue of fairness. A qualitative case study was carried out to explore how assessment practices can be made fairer for students with a profile of dyslexia. This involved a group of science teachers coming together to develop fairer assessment strategies to assess dyslexic students in science. The assessment strategies, which included the use of multiple forms of assessment tasks, more emphasis on practical work and an oral component, and more attention to formatting of examination papers were then implemented in a physics class that included two students with a profile of dyslexia. The outcomes of the study suggest that small changes in assessment practices can be beneficial for students with a profile of dyslexia, allowing them to show what they can do.