The inclusion of science process skills in multiple choice questions: Are we getting any better?

Abstract

The goal of this study was to analyze the science and technology questions with respect to science process skills (SPS) included in the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) examination developed for use with 8th-grade students in Turkey. The 12 TEOG exams administered in the course of three academic years from 2014 through 2016 that included 238 science and technology questions were subjected to document analysis to determine whether the process is being made toward incorporating science process skills in this high-stakes exam. The number of science and technology questions that incorporated SPS increased from 49 in 2013-2014 to 53 in 2014-2015 and 76 in the most recent year, 2015-2016. These questions included interpretation and inference skills far more often (n = 59) than data processing/modeling/hypothesis skills (n = 2). The document analysis showed that basic science process skills were included in science and technology questions more or less as often as integrated science process skills.