Abstract:

This article presents a toolkit for assessing the natural science competencies of students from grades 1 to 10. The research is part of a project aimed at developing an adaptive metric for assessing STEM competencies among students. The objective of this article is to describe the toolkit used, present results from its piloting, and analyze the obtained data. The study involved 850 students from small and medium-sized towns in Bulgaria, attending primary, secondary, and vocational schools. Three toolkits were employed to investigate academic knowledge in the field of natural sciences and the key competencies formed in students.

The first toolkit takes the form of a test comprising questions relevant to the curriculum for each grade. The questions do not require direct reproduction of memorized knowledge but rather reasoning and forming answers based on what has been learned. The aim is to assess students' STEM competencies and their ability to transfer knowledge across different areas of expertise.

The second toolkit is based on the Brainstorming method. The class is divided into small groups (3-5 students), tasked with creating a word cloud on a specific natural science topic within a set time frame. Through this task, assessment is made not only of academic knowledge but also of key competencies such as teamwork, tolerance, active listening, articulate defense of one's own opinion and position, among others. There are no specific requirements regarding the formation of the word cloud, encouraging the display of creative and critical thinking.

The third toolkit evaluates students' metacognitive knowledge. In a group discussion format, students must create a bank of arguments justifying the need for knowledge on a given natural science topic and its application in life.

The three tools are part of an adaptive system for assessing students' STEM competencies in primary and secondary schools, currently under development by the authors.

Keywords:

STEM competencies, adaptive assessment metric, natural science competencies, primary and secondary school.