Teachers' Conceptions Toward Type of Assessment: Grade Level and State Tested Content Area

Abstract

This quantitative study utilized an online survey to explore secondary teachers' (grades 6-12) conceptions toward assessment, specifically focusing on differences among teachers who teach in a state tested area and those that do not teach in a state tested content area. This study also explored teachers' conceptions toward assessments that are given as a part of the regular classroom routine and those assessments given as a result of state mandates. Repeated measures analyses of variance results indicate that teachers have stronger agreement for the four conceptions of assessment (improvement of teaching and learning, student accountability, teacher and school accountability, assessment is relevant) as they relate to the assessments that take place in their classrooms as opposed to those that are mandated by the state. Correlations among conceptions indicate that teachers do not view these assessments equally; classroom assessment is seen as being distinct from state assessment. Additionally, the study reveals that teachers have a distinct view of the purposes of classroom assessments and state assessments. No overall grade level differences were found between middle school and high school teachers and their conceptions of assessment. No overall differences were found between teachers teaching in a state tested content area and those that did not. Findings did reveal that high school teachers teaching in a state tested content area held a stronger endorsement for the conception of assessment for classroom assessments for the purpose of improving teaching and learning than their colleagues teaching in a non state tested content area. Implications for future topics of study are discussed.