ABSTRACT
Assessment in school is generally concerned with the effects of the teaching process. Whether it is carried out in a traditional way or through objective tests, assessment is intended to test the knowledge acquired and its applications. In the last ten years several research projects have been undertaken all over the world on ‘previous knowledge’ and its importance, especially in science-learning processes. Some researchers prefer to call it ‘misconceptions’ or ‘preconceptions’; others speak about ‘children’s science’ or ‘alternative frameworks’. Within this theoretical framework, a research project on common-sense knowledge in secondary-school studentswas carried out at Centro Europeo Dell‘Educazione. A qualitative and quantitative analysis was undertaken for each questionnaire. From the former point of view, using free responses and multiple-choice answers, it was possible to check the hypothetical common-sense map previously drawn and to find other unforeseen relationships.
