Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments
In this exploratory mixed methods survey study, we assess preservice teachers’ (n=379) experiences with and beliefs about their high-stakes testing experiences and analyze how they relate to their beliefs about the role and efficacy of high-stakes testing in education and their future profession. Us...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Arizona State University
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Education Policy Analysis Archives |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/4877 |
| _version_ | 1830083019129487360 |
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| author | Sharon L. Nichols Shon Brewington |
| author_facet | Sharon L. Nichols Shon Brewington |
| author_sort | Sharon L. Nichols |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this exploratory mixed methods survey study, we assess preservice teachers’ (n=379) experiences with and beliefs about their high-stakes testing experiences and analyze how they relate to their beliefs about the role and efficacy of high-stakes testing in education and their future profession. Using Likert, vignette, and open-ended response opportunities, we gauged preservice teachers’ beliefs about accountability and the role of high-stakes testing in three ways: (a) what are their personal experiences with high-stakes testing, (b) what are their their beliefs about accountability and high-stakes testing in general, and (c) what role does accountability (and testing pressures) play in their future workplace preferences? Results indicate that preservice teachers’ experiences with and beliefs about high-stakes testing accountability vary based on gender, ethnicity, and previous experiences with high-stakes tests. Importantly, although in aggregate our participants reported they generally disliked the high-stakes tests they personally had to take in high school, subgroup analyses reveal that for those who took them during the NCLB era, they also saw high-stakes tests as good thing for education overall. Preservice teachers who were younger and “grew up” under NCLB and the height of high-stakes testing believed high-stakes tests to be a waste of time for them personally, but a useful way to evaluate teachers as an educational policy. Vignette and qualitative analyses of workplace preferences and rationales underscore some of the assumptions our preservice teachers hold about high-stakes testing as a policy mechanism to help explain this finding. We conclude with implications for policy and future research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:13:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31b8c6b53b064b24a312a6c1a34b806c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1068-2341 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:13:59Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | Arizona State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Policy Analysis Archives |
| spelling | doaj.art-31b8c6b53b064b24a312a6c1a34b806c2022-12-21T22:54:56ZengArizona State UniversityEducation Policy Analysis Archives1068-23412020-03-0128010.14507/epaa.28.48772053Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environmentsSharon L. Nichols0Shon Brewington1University of Texas-San AntonioUniversity of Texas at San AntonioIn this exploratory mixed methods survey study, we assess preservice teachers’ (n=379) experiences with and beliefs about their high-stakes testing experiences and analyze how they relate to their beliefs about the role and efficacy of high-stakes testing in education and their future profession. Using Likert, vignette, and open-ended response opportunities, we gauged preservice teachers’ beliefs about accountability and the role of high-stakes testing in three ways: (a) what are their personal experiences with high-stakes testing, (b) what are their their beliefs about accountability and high-stakes testing in general, and (c) what role does accountability (and testing pressures) play in their future workplace preferences? Results indicate that preservice teachers’ experiences with and beliefs about high-stakes testing accountability vary based on gender, ethnicity, and previous experiences with high-stakes tests. Importantly, although in aggregate our participants reported they generally disliked the high-stakes tests they personally had to take in high school, subgroup analyses reveal that for those who took them during the NCLB era, they also saw high-stakes tests as good thing for education overall. Preservice teachers who were younger and “grew up” under NCLB and the height of high-stakes testing believed high-stakes tests to be a waste of time for them personally, but a useful way to evaluate teachers as an educational policy. Vignette and qualitative analyses of workplace preferences and rationales underscore some of the assumptions our preservice teachers hold about high-stakes testing as a policy mechanism to help explain this finding. We conclude with implications for policy and future research.https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/4877preservice teachershigh-stakes testingteacher beliefs |
| spellingShingle | Sharon L. Nichols Shon Brewington Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments Education Policy Analysis Archives preservice teachers high-stakes testing teacher beliefs |
| title | Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments |
| title_full | Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments |
| title_fullStr | Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments |
| title_short | Preservice teachers’ beliefs about high-stakes testing and their working environments |
| title_sort | preservice teachers beliefs about high stakes testing and their working environments |
| topic | preservice teachers high-stakes testing teacher beliefs |
| url | https://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/4877 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sharonlnichols preserviceteachersbeliefsabouthighstakestestingandtheirworkingenvironments AT shonbrewington preserviceteachersbeliefsabouthighstakestestingandtheirworkingenvironments |