TSL3003_L7_TSA

TSL3003_L7_TSA

Please scan through the followings, and then answer the questions.  

1. “FAQ”of TSA [new] in the HKEAA website at

https://www.bca.hkeaa.edu.hk/web/TSA/en/PriFaq.html

2. SCMP (12 Jun 2018) ‘Revised TSA still stressful for Hong Kong pupils and teachers, but education minister says drilling reduced drastically’ 

Part A. Government’s views

Multiple Choice

1. Which study levels are targeted for TSA?

• a. P1 & P3 only

• b. P1, P3 & P6

• c. P3, P6, S1

• d. P3, P6, S3

Multiple Choice

2. What subjects would be assessed in the TSA?

• a. Chinese Language & English Language only

• b. Chinese Language, English Language, Maths

• c. Chinese Language, English Language, Maths, General Studies

Multiple Choice

3. How often would the TSA be implemented currently?

• a. P3, P6, S3 – Every year

• b. P3, P6 – Every year ; S3 – Alternate year

• c. P3, S3 – Every year; P6 – Alternate year

Multiple Choice

4. What is the rationale for implementing the TSA?

• a. To check the accountability of schools on their teaching effectiveness.

• b. To help parents choose their preferred school referring to the school ranking in each district based on the TSA results.

• c. To provide information about students' strengths and weaknesses against specific Basic Competencies to enhance learning & teaching.

Multiple Choice

5. Which of the following is NOT the advantage of TSA?

• a. Participating schools are provided with the overall assessment results at the territory-wide level and at the school level so as to improve learning and teaching in their schools.

• b. In the process of participating in the TSA, teachers can thoroughly understand the requirements of the current curriculum and enhance their professional knowledge with reference to this standard-referenced assessment.

• c. Parents are provided with their children’s individual assessment results for better understanding of their academic performance.

• d. The Government is provided with objective data so as to assess the effectiveness of the education policies.

• e. The public is provided with the overall territory-wide data so as to understand the general performances of Hong Kong students in the three major subjects: Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics.

Multiple Choice

6. Which of the following statement about the TSA reports is FALSE?

• a. The TSA reports provide an overview of how students in each school perform against the territory-wide basic competency standard in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics

• b. The territory-wide assessment reports with territory-wide data are made available to the general public and the Government.

• c. The participating schools are provided with their own school data.

• d. Individual students’ assessment results are made available.

Part B. General Public’s views

Multiple Choice

7. According to the SCMP article, what are the students’ views on TSA?

Students find TSA…

(i) stressful

(ii) time-consuming in preparation

(iii) tasks are challenging

(iv) no extra preparation is needed

• a. (i), (ii) only

• b. (i), (ii), (iii)

• c. All of the above

Multiple Choice

8. According to the SCMP article, what are the teachers’ views on TSA?

Teachers find TSA…

(i) drilling / exercises with a format resembling the TSA are necessary

(ii) had brought about “very high” or “high” levels of pressure on both primary teachers and students

(iii) helps a lot for understanding the basic competency of their pupils

(iv) largely improves the learning and teaching quality

• a. (i), (ii) only

• b. (i), (ii), (iii) only

• c. (iii), (iv) only

• d. All of the above

Multiple Choice

9. According to the SCMP article, what are the university scholars’ views on TSA?

Dr Elizabeth Loh (HKU) finds TSA…

(i) not suitable for P3 pupils as all assessment items are too difficult

(ii) should be canceled as it creates too much negative effects on student’s psychological development and school-based teaching

(iii) the written papers were suitable for testing pupils at the P3 level in general;

(iv) some tasks (e.g. writing invitation card) were a bit difficult

• a. (i), (ii) only

• b. (iii), (iv) only

• c. All of the above

Multiple Choice

10. According to the SCMP article, what are the government officials’ views on TSA?

Government officials find TSA…

(i) low-stakes as participating primary schools and students are selected randomly, and no reports on school performance would be issued.

(ii) motivation to drill had been reduced drastically

(iii) all schools must opt for all its pupils to sit for the TSA exam

• a. (i), (ii) only

• b. (ii), (iii) only

• c. All of the above

Multiple Choice

11. If a school opt for all its pupils to sit for the TSA exam, what would it obtain?

• a. A certificate of merit

• b. Extra on-site support for school-based curriculum development

• c. A report on the pupils’ overall performance

Part C. Your views

Open Ended

In your opinion, should TSA be continuing?

What would you suggest to the following parties to improve the TSA practice – (a) EDB; (b) School/teachers; (c) students; (d) parents?

^Tips:

^{Consider whether or not there is indeed a gap between its proposed purposes and its actual impact on students’ learning. Please suggest how to bridge the gap.}

^{(15 mins including a break)}