ENHANCING YEAR 9 PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENCE Clifford Jackson James Cook University
[email protected] Michelle Lasen James Cook University
[email protected] Robert Callin Education Queensland
[email protected] Komia Tsey James Cook University
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
This paper presents fmdings from an action research project designed to enhance Year 9 stndent performance and engagement in science at a regional secondary school. The project was initiated in response to poor performance of Northern High's Year 9 cohort on the 2009 Queensland Comparable Assessment Task (QCAT). The incoming 2010 Year 9 cohort (N=148) was baseline tested and surveyed using items from the 2006 Programme for International Stndent Assessment (OECD, 2007) and the 2009 QCAT (QSA, 2009c). The mean test score for stndents was below a 50% pass mark (4.4/10; SD±2.0). Attitndes towards science were largely positive, with just under three fifths of stndents perceiving science to be very relevant to them. Regression analysis revealed that personal relevance of science explained 8.2% of the variance in test scores (p
