An Analysis of the Competency Exam for College Education : Area of Science Inguiry

대학수학능력시험 실험 평가 문제의 분석 : 과학 탐구를 중심으로

The purpose of this study was to point out the problems of the competency exam for college education, a new college entrance exam, and to suggest the improvement ideas for it For this purpose, the test items of science inquiry were taken from the first, the second and the third pilot studies of the competency exam for college education which National Institute of Educational Evaluation had done. These tests were administered to 1,223 students of the general high school(422 for the 1st 400 for the 2nd, and 401 for the 3rd test). Also, those students' and the high school science teacher's opinions about the tests and the new college entrance exam were surveyed. The evaluation objectives of those test items were analyzed and the test item analyses were done. The results were as follows; (1) The evaluation objective analysis showed that most of the test The purpose of this study was to point out the problems of the competency exam for college education, a new college entrance exam, and to suggest the improvement ideas for it For this purpose, the test items of science inquiry were taken from the first, the second and the third pilot studies of the competency exam for college education which National Institute of Educational Evaluation had done. These tests were administered to 1,223 students of the general high school(422 for the 1st, 400 for the 2nd, and 401 for the 3rd test). Also, those students' and the high school science teacher's opinions about the tests and the new college entrance exam were surveyed. The evaluation objectives of those test items were analyzed and the test item analyses were done. The results were as follows; (1) The evaluation objective analysis showed that most of the test items were constructed based on the evaluation framework which was composed of scientific inquiry thinking ability, science concept, and scientific inquiry context dimensions. But, those items were unevenly distributed into a few areas of the evaluation framework. (2) The boys had higher mean scores than the girls in all of the tests, but these differences were not statistically significant. The natural science course students had significantly higher mean than the humanities course students in all of the test:(1st, F=12.643, p=0.0004 ; 2nd, F=45.757, p=0.0001 ; 3rd, F=36.162, p=0.0001). A significant interaction of sex and course was found in only 1st test( F=11.352. p=0.0008). (3) Most students answered the test was difficult and they needed more time to finish it Also, they added they had to study in a different way from the traditional one in order to prepare the new college entrance exam. Science teachers answered that those evaluation objectives of the tests corresponded well with the educational objectives of high school science and that the tests were suitable as measuring instruments of the scientific thinking abilities. But they pointed out it would be very difficult for them to teach students for preparing the exam under the exsting educational conditions. To carry out successfully the competency exam for college education, the following improvements were suggested. (1) Good evaluation methodology should be developed. (2) In-service science teacher training models on evaluation should be put in force. (3) Effective teaching models and strategies should be developed.(4) The high school science curriculum should be revised.