Standardised Tests

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between teachers' beliefs toward learning and beliefs toward standard tests. During the study, correlational survey research model, one of the research models, is adopted. As data collection tool; "Belief Scale Towards Learning" and "Beliefs About Standardized Tests Scale" is used. Data is collected from 659 different branches of teachers, 306 female and 353 male. For analyzing the data; descriptive statistical analyzing methods and correlation-regression analysis are used. According to the findings, it is determined that teachers’ beliefs towards constructivist learning are higher than the beliefs towards traditional learning. Secondly, it’s determined that there is a positive and significant relationship between beliefs towards traditional learning and beliefs towards standard tests. Furthermore, it’s found that there is negative and significant relationship between beliefs towards standard tests and beliefs towards constructivist learning. Finally, it’s determined that the beliefs toward traditional and constructivist learning are significant predictor of beliefs toward standard tests.

Recently the British government has once again embarked upon a wave of what it calls educational ‘reforms’ and it is inspired by this potential pedagogical ground-shift and the renewed climate for change, that the author’s wish to bring to the arena of reform a proposal to eradicate all formal testing in England’s secondary schooling including the abolishment of both GCSEs and A levels, ‘paper’ tests, usually conducted at sixteen and eighteen years of age, respectively. In place of these aging constructs the argument will be presented for a ‘graduation passport’ an authentic document which will give a more accurate record and evaluation of the educand; a document which will have genuine social currency both in academe and the workplace.

Lecturers' teaching practices often leave indelible impressions on students' learning development. Students tend to respond to expectations that lecturers set, which might limit or extend the boundaries of learning. Given that not all students might access higher education with the requisite level of academic readiness to respond to the academic demands of first year studies, lecturers' academic literacy requirements and practices contribute to setting the tone for reading and writing in higher education. This article draws on lecturers' expectations of writing practices for the first-year subjects they teach to explore how academic literacy development for higher education might be supported or limited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers to gain insight into writing skills and practices required for their respective subjects. Written summative assessments were analysed to determine whether lecturers' perspectives of writing aligned with assessment expectations. This study provides support for the contention that lecturers' play a significant role in nurturing or limiting students' academic writing development. The findings suggest that academic writing practices that lecturers espouse have ramifications for how students access and articulate knowledge not only at first year level, but for vertical progression through the years of study.