Assessing israeli students’ knowledge in science-policy and practice

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Other than brainpower, Israel lacks natural resources. As a result, the economy is strongly dependent on its hi-tech, military, and cyber industries. To ensure that the country has a continuous supply of highly trained scientists and engineers, science and mathematics education should be natural priorities. While this appears to be a national policy, in practice it does not always seem to be the case. Students’ learning of science, mathematics, and technology is assessed by national tests in elementary, middle, and high school. Students, teachers, and schools are under great pressure to succeed on these tests, leading to a situation where a significant percentage of instructional time is dedicated to preparing for these tests. In parallel, Israel participates in the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). Since there is great pressure to improve Israel’s standing in these tests, teachers are expected to prepare their students for these tests, so many complain that rather than evaluating the performance of the system, tests have become the driver of the educational system. An outcome of this situation appears to be decreasing motivation to learn science, with fewer students choosing to study science as an elective. The minister of education has promised to decrease the testing load and increase the time available for meaningful learning.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationScience Education Research and Practice in Asia
Subtitle of host publicationChallenges and Opportunities
PublisherSpringer Singapore
Pages347-356
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9789811008474
ISBN (Print)9789811008450
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Social Sciences

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