The Questions for Assessment (QFA) scheme as a pedagogical tool in a physics class

• Main Author: Collado, Resty Castro
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4353
• Institution: De La Salle University

Low comprehension of any subject matter content impedes higher cognitive skills. Previous studies show that writing questions based on read text improves ones understanding of the material, and serves as a metacognitive strategy as students recall and reflect on what they have learned. This study attempted to extend such assertion to a local high school physics class. Two identical senior high school classes were given similar instructions in physics for 8 weeks. However, one group (N=36) received the Questions for Assessment (QfA) scheme while the other (N=34) was given the typical teacher-made assessment tasks. The QfA scheme consisted of requiring the students to construct multiple choice questions as part of their homework, seatwork and quizzes. Credits are awarded depending on the cognitive skill a question involves such that questions requiring higher cognitive skills (Blooms taxonomy) are awarded higher credits. About 1,500 multiple choice questions were constructed by the students in the experimental group within the duration of the study. Results from 3 achievement tests showed that the students from experimental group obtained higher mean scores than those in the control group, with increasing difference in each of the tests (lowest p = 0.04 = 0.05). Furthermore, students in the experimental groups showed better retention as confirmed by their better performance in each of the three unannounced tests given during the course of the study (lowest p = 0.03 = 0.05). It is recommended that the test on retention be further studied with longer duration. However, no significant difference in the performance of the two groups across the three transfer tests was observed, although the difference is nearing significant levels as the study progressed in time (lowest p = 0.05 = 0.05). Finally, for the metacognitive awareness, Schraw and Dennisons Metacognitive Awareness Inventory was administered at the beginning and end of the study. It is only the experimental group which posted a si