Teachers' (K-5) perceptions of student behaviors during standardized testing

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of standardized testing on student behavior as perceived by their teachers. The study consisted of an online survey of 63 teachers and four individual interviews. Participants in the study were 63 teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade from two northeastern Oklahoma elementary school districts, and from a local university affiliate of a National Writing Project. Each participant completed an online survey. Four teachers were interviewed, two from an urban district and two from a suburban district. The methodological framework was a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological approach to human science.

Findings and Conclusions: Six themes emerged from the data analysis. Data analysis included information discovered from the online survey open-ended comments, teacher interviews, field notes of research, and lived experience of researcher as a teacher. The themes identified included the following: (1) teacher memories of testing, (2) helplessness, (3) accountability and curriculum, (4) community, (5), nurturing, and (6) changes. Two themes, teacher autonomy and gender, were found missing or negative in the study. The study found teachers perceived many changes in student behavior during testing; teacher memories of testing impact role of nurturing during testing; and the classroom physical environment changes during testing. Future research suggested includes the impact of teacher memories of testing on students, classroom environment and student anxiety during testing, and teacher job satisfaction compared to past years.