The aim of this study is to examine the effect of formative assessment practices on seventh-grade students’ cognitive strategies skills in the Science course. The quantitative part of the study, which was designed according to the mixed research approach, was based on a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest experimental and control groups, and the qualitative part was based on a case study design. The study group of the experimental dimension consisted of 48 students studying in the 7th grade, while 9 students took part in the case study. In the quantitative dimension, data was collected with the Science and Technology Course Self-Regulated Learning Strategies Scale. In the qualitative dimension, data was collected through interviews. The ANCOVA test was used to analyze the quantitative data. The data collected through interviews were analyzed with descriptive analysis and categorical content analysis techniques. As a result of the study, it was determined that formative assessment practices were effective on students’ cognitive strategies skills. In addition, it was determined that students partially used cognitive strategies skills in the pre-interviews, but there were improvements in the level of using these skills in the post-interview. Based on the results obtained from the study, various suggestions were made.

The study investigated whether senior high school students’ thinking levels in permutation and combination differ by the programme of study. Therefore, the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy was used as a theoretical framework to assess their thinking levels in permutation and combination. Quantitative research method that employed descriptive research design was used as a strategy of enquiry in this present study. Three senior high schools were purposively selected and a sample of 360 students which comprised 256 males and 104 females were randomly selected for the study. The data were collected using tests. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (percentages, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Kruskal-Wallis tests). The results indicated that, the majority (73.9%) of the students reached the lower levels of the SOLO taxonomy (pre-structural, uni- structural and multi- structural) while a few (26.1%) reached the higher levels (relational and extended abstract). Furtherance to this, the Kruskal-Wallis H test indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the thinking levels of the SOLO taxonomy across the various programme of study where General Science students differed significantly from General Agriculture and Business students. Therefore, it is recommended that educators should use differentiated instructional methodologies, including active learning techniques adapted to each subject of study. Again, to overcome the identified disparities, curriculum developers may incorporate discipline-specific cognitive skill-building activities.