ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analysis of research and development tools and strategies for assessing inquiry, with an emphasis on science education, that have evolved over the last three decades. The chapter discusses changes in four core and interrelated dimensions that have influenced the assessment of inquiry. First, conceptions of the goals of inquiry have changed and are reflected in evolving science education standards policy documents. Second, assessments of inquiry are influenced by the purposes for which they are intended to be used, and those uses have broadened over time. Third, the tasks used to assess inquiry skill have evolved from selected-response items, to performance tasks, to complex, technology-supported environments. Fourth, measurement models have become more sophisticated, allowing for richer evaluation of evidence of inquiry. These various changes have led to practices in inquiry assessment that more and more approximate the inquiry practices of scientists.
