'What do I like about science-related activities?' Participatory indicators addressing students' motivations and needs when learning science

Abstract

While emerging approaches, like the RRI paradigm, put students' participation and appropriation of the learning process at the center of science education, attempts at open assessment and evaluation have been more slowly applied in practice' a homeostatic tendency to continue these practices in the older, continual methods. Assessment, however, is a fundamental topic in science education and pedagogy, permeating science education curriculum, teaching and learning practices and research. This chapter explores the novel role of participatory approaches in science education assessment to support learning and inform and adapt teaching practices that fulfill learners' basic needs, while approaching global challenges in novel and engaging ways. This is done through the analysis of an empirical experience of participatory indicators development in Spain, France and United Kingdom, as part of the H2020 EU PERFORM research project. The PERFORM project aims to engage secondary school students in science learning by using performing arts. Eight exploratory workshops were implemented in four selected secondary schools in each country to explore students' motivations to participat in science education activities and identify participatory assessment indicators. A total of 122 secondary-school students participated in the process. Workshop results provided not only specific contextual insights from each country, key to understand students' motivations, but also fresh and culturally relevant assessment indicators.