Abstract
One of the most important problems in science education is to foster students’“ scientific reasoning and expression” ability. In this research, we clarified that using performance assessments can pragmatize four learning styles in the instructional design of science lessons that foster the ability of “scientific reasoning and expression”. The analyses of the children’s activities in these science lessons revealed the following points.
· Assessment of children’s performances based on “Concept Mapping” ”Open-ended tasks” and “Problem-solving tasks” can pragmatize the learningstyle of“ Imaginative Learners”.“ Concept Mapping” shows children’s preconceptions, “Open-ended tasks” show their experience and knowledge, and “Problemsolving tasks” show their experiment plans and simulations.
· Assessment of children’s performances based on“Problem-solving tasks” and “Process assessment tasks” can pragmatize the learning style of “Analytic Learners”. “Problem-solving tasks” show children’s activities during observations and experiments, and “Process assessment tasks” show the skill of making a figure/table.
· Assessment of children’s performances based on“ Process assessment tasks” and “Problem-solving tasks” can pragmatize the learning style of “Common Sense Learners”. “Problem-solving tasks” show children’s explanations of natural phenomena, and “Process assessment tasks” show discussion and presentation skills.
· Assessment of children’s performances based on “Concept Mapping” and “Open-ended tasks” can pragmatize the learning style of “Dynamic Learners”.“Concept Mapping” shows children’s scientificconceptions, “Open-ended tasks” show their new problems, and “Self-evaluation” shows their reflection of them.
