The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature of performance assessment, and the elementary school and junior high school math and science teachers' attitudes toward performance assessment. First, we investigate the nature of performance assessment by content analysis method. Second, We use survey method to investigate the teacher's attitudes toward performance assessment, and it's separated into two stages.
Based on the purposes above, this study provides many kinds of examples to describe the characteristics and functions of performance assessment, and induce the future development trend of performance assessment. The findings of this part are: (l) performance assessment has six features on its purposes, methods, evaluations, and result applications. (2) 5 functions on the theories and practices of instruction and learning. (3) 3 trends on future development.
The investigation toward attitudes is processed by two stages. One is the recognition stage, and the other is the adaptation-application stage. This two stage is investigated by two instruments designed by the researcher. The two instruments are "survey of the instructional situation" and "the survey of the teachers' attitudes toward performance assessment". The subjects are the elementary school and junior high school math and science teachers who have joined the MSPAP program (Maryland School Performance Assessment Program 1993) and activities like the international workshop, etc. The main finding of this part is: the teachers' attitude toward performance assessment is mostly neutral-positive.
Six main conclusions of this study are: (l) Performance assessment can make a big change in present evaluation style. (2) Performance assessment is suitable for the need of present society. (3) The elementary school and junior high school teachers' instructional situation still have a distance from performance assessment. (4) About half of the teachers have a positive action trend toward the performance assessment. (5) From the perspectives of the degree of teachers' preparation and the teachers' attitudes, we can say the practice of performance assessment is positive. (6) Different approaches of the teachers will affect the teachers' attitude toward performance assessment. Finally, according to the findings and conclusion of this study, we provide some implications to the elementary school and junior high school math and science teachers, and the educational administration department, and also provide some directions for future studies.