The Future of Education
How Has the Introduction of Standardised Testing Altered the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Australian Schools?
Linda Cranley, University of Notre Dame (Australia)
Genevieve Johnson, University of Notre Dame (Australia)
Abstract
In 2008 the Australian Federal Government introduced a mandatory National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (known as ‘NAPLAN’). The aim of the testing is to compare results of each cohort, over a two year period. Each year, from 2008 to current date, all students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 within Australian schools are assessed on the same days using national tests in numeracy and literacy. The results are reported nationally through summary and national reports; and an individual report for each student is provided to parents or caregivers. The results show each student’s achievements against a national average and school scores are published in the public domain on the Australian Government’s My School Website. The introduction of this assessment has changed the landscape for teaching mathematics across Australian schools and raises questions about the impact the testing has had on the teaching of learning of Mathematics (Klenowski & Wyatt-Smith, 2011). Consistent with a phenomenological perspective, the qualitative data for this investigation were collected through semi-structured interviews and field notes (Berg, 2007). This presentation will summarise the impact that this implementation of mandatory national testing has had on the attitudes and pedagogies of the teaching and learning of mathematics. In particular, this presentation will focus on the impact NAPLAN has had on the learning of mathematics and the far reaching effects this standardised test has had on students’ capabilities within mathematics. The perspective of the student is examined here with themes arising such as anxiety experienced in relation to NAPLAN, the resulting perceptions of themselves as mathematicians and the changes in the mathematics pedagogy they experience.
Keywords: High-stakes testing, mathematics education, standardised testing.
References:
[1] Berg, B. (2007). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. Boston: Pearson Education.
[2] Klenowski, V., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2011). The impact of high stakes testing: The Australian story. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 1-18.
