The alignment between the fourth grade Lebanese science curriculum and classroom assessments

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the alignment between the fourth-grade summative classroom assessments and the ‘Matter and Energy’ unit in the Lebanese science curriculum using: content and cognitive levels. Summative assessments were collected from a sample of 17 schools. The alignment between the classroom assessments and the Lebanese science curriculum were examined using three instruments: Curriculum Coding Sheet, Items Coding Sheet, and Item Analysis Sheet. The curricular learning objectives were used for matching the test items to the learning objectives in terms of content. Findings showed moderate content alignment; further analysis revealed that public schools had higher content alignment, and they covered a wider range of topics. In terms of cognitive level, there was a low alignment between the assessments collected and the curriculum; however, there were items that had higher cognitive level. Recommendations for curriculum developers and future research are discussed in light of these findings.