ERIC Number: EJ863212
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Nov-9
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1207-7798
EISSN: N/A
"The First Year, They Cried": How Teachers Address Test Stress
Childs, Ruth A.
Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, n96 p1-14 Nov 2009
Grade 3 teachers in Ontario must administer the Primary Assessment of Reading, Writing and Mathematics to their students. In this study, we analyze how four teachers framed and addressed the problem of the stress some of their students experienced when sitting the test. The teachers framed the problem in different ways: as related to students' perceptions of the test, students' preparation for the test, teachers' attitudes about the test, or the developmental appropriateness of the test administration instructions. Their approaches to addressing the problem were related to how they framed the problem and whether they believed the test administration instructions must be strictly followed. We believe it is important for educational policy makers and test developers to understand the problem of test stress and to engage teachers in finding ways to address it.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Grade 3, Educational Policy, Elementary School Teachers, Stress Management, Stress Variables, Test Anxiety, Student Attitudes, Test Wiseness, Teacher Attitudes, Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Student Evaluation
Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba. Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada. Tel: 204-474-9004; Fax: 204-474-7564; e-mail: cjeapadm@cc.umanitoba.ca; Web site: http://www.umanitoba.ca/publications/cjeap
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A