ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the meaning and role of accountability, a word increasingly used – often with negative connotations – in the context of evaluating educational effectiveness. It also considers the kinds of evidence that are needed in evaluating provision for learning and the criteria used in making judgements about the evidence. The chapter looks at some examples of records of children's activities that help to ensure all children experience the intended opportunities for learning. It describes an evaluation tool that is focused specifically on children's opportunities for inquiry-based learning in science and can be adapted for evaluation by an observer or self-evaluation by the teacher. The Fibonacci project developed a tool for evaluation of children's activities in science and a related tool for evaluation of teachers' activities, specifically focused on inquiry-based activities. Indeed, such versions are included in the Fibonacci publication to help diagnose teachers' professional development needs, and could be used for this purpose by the science subject leader.
