Best Way to Reduce Stress for Teachers and Students

Impact of High-Stakes Testing on the Teaching and Learning Processes of Mathematics

Introduction

High-stakes testing has a significant impact on the teaching and learning processes of mathematics. The emphasis on testing can lead to an overemphasis on test preparation, and a decrease in meaningful exploration, application, and collaboration in the classroom. This can lead to an increase in rote memorization, focused on specific types of questions, which does not fully prepare students for higher level mathematical thinking and problem solving. In order to address this increased focus on test preparation, it is important for teachers to incorporate a variety of strategies in their instruction, such as promoting effective discussion, providing work time for practice, and emphasizing the importance of real-world connections. This paper provides a summary and analysis of the study by Gologlu Demir and Kaplan Keles (2021) as well as curriculum applications based on the findings of the study.

Summary

The article focuses on the learning-teaching process aspect of high-stakes testing: specifically, it discusses the teaching method, individual differences, use of material, teaching of values, and teaching at lower grades. It also includes emphasis on measurement and assessment issues, as well as motivation, communication, and what the situation would be if there were no high-stakes testing. The researchers conducted interviews with 13 teachers for approximately 20-25 minutes, and used content analysis to analyze responses. The study’s aim was to answer questions regarding the impact of high-stakes testing on the learning-teaching process, assessment, motivation, and communication. The methodology employed was phenomenology, an immersive method that enables the researcher to be part of the experience of the study, and which is meant to help others learn from the experiences of participants (Neubauer et al., 2019).

The study found that teachers would prefer teaching without high-stakes testing. They feel it puts time-related pressure on them, and that it increases student stress and anxiety. Plus, they feel that parents would not put blame on teachers if so much was not expected from these tests. The discussion of the study helped to show the interrelatedness of themes (motivation, communication, etc.), and why teachers view high-stakes testing poorly.

Analysis

The method selected for the study was appropriate to the research questions and the overall aim of the study, as it centered on teachers’ experiences, thoughts and feelings. A suitable literature review was conducted at the outset to show the need for the study based upon a gap in the literature surrounding teachers’ views of high-stake testing in mathematics. A semi-structured interview tool was used to collect data from participants, and this allowed a set of questions to be asked to all participants but also for natural and organic conversation to take place to help deepen the data and make it more meaningful for analysis. Descriptive coding is an appropriate analysis method, and overall the methodology applied helped to give the study a good foundation for validity and reliability (Giorgi, 2020). However, as DeHart (2020) points out, in phenomenology, description of the method and the appropriateness of analysis are crucial to ensuring validity and reliability. At the same time, Mascolo and Kallio (2020) regard both as subjective measures that phenomenology must necessarily call into question.

Overall, what I found most interesting about the study was the fact that teachers appeared to really dislike high-stakes testing. Additionally, the time needed to prepare for these tests was believed to negatively impact the quality of instruction and students’ ability to learn mathematics effectively. As a result, teachers were likely looking for ways to reduce the overemphasis on test preparation and increase the use of more meaningful activities and strategies in the classroom. I would like to see more information on this particular issue to see how teachers are coping with the stress and anxiety of high-stakes testing all the way around.

Curriculum Applications

Still, there is much that can be applied with regards to curriculum improvement. Based on the findings from the study by Gologlu Demir & Kaplan Keles (2021), projects that involve problem solving and inquiry based activities, as well as incorporating formative assessment into the classroom should all be included in the curriculum. These types of activities allow students to explore concepts in-depth, make connections between ideas, and apply their knowledge to real-world problems. Likewise, formative assessment, such as in-class quizzes, can also be used to measure student understanding and inform instruction. By incorporating these strategies into the curriculum, teachers can create a learning environment that encourages deep learning and exploration of mathematical concepts.