Developing school practice in preparing students for high stake examinations

Flitcroft, D., Woods, K., & Putwain, D. (2017). Developing school practice in preparing students for high-stake examinations in English and Mathematics. Educational & Child Psychology, 34(3), 7-19.

Background

The authors highlighted that teacher behaviour in the lead-up to high-stake examinations could negatively and/or positively impact student performance.

Aims

The study aimed to provide teachers with opportunities to utilise feedback from their students to reflect upon:

the type of motivational language statements teachers were using in the classroom;

students’ views about attainment, and the motivation language they heard from their teachers and from non-teacher sources (e.g. peers and parents); and

possible new approaches in response to the views of students.

Sample

The study involved ten pupils aged 14-16 years old, five teachers and one teaching assistant who had taught the syllabus.

Method

The study progressed through three stages: the initial focus group interviews of five English and Mathematic teachers and one teaching assistant who had taught the syllabus teaching high-stake examination programmes to students aged 14–16, semi-structured interviews with ten students selected from the teachers’ classes, and follow-up focus group interviews with the teachers.

Findings

The teachers reported that the language they used in teaching was intuitive. For example, advice-giving language typically comprised subject-specific revision and timescale reminders before the examinations. The students reported hearing teacher messages regarding student change and their ability to alter their own behaviour to improve their exam results. They also heard messages that indicated the teachers’ belief in their abilities. However, they also reported hearing language relating to the future impact of examination performance, and fear appeals emphasising the impact of failure. They would value optimistic messages of belief in their chances of success, rather than the negative messages associated with fear appeals. Parents’ language focused primarily on recommended time spent revising at home and prioritisation of subjects that were perceived as more important for further education. All students perceived and valued emotional support from parents through messages of confidence in their abilities. All students also considered specific examination advice as being the most valuable when it came from teachers.

Implications

The authors highlighted the teachers’ ability to produce an action plan of possible approaches based on the knowledge of student experience and perspectives. The teachers used the reflection to propose a range of strategies and considerations to motivate and provide the necessary skills for students to become independent learners but recognised time constraints on offering individualised support.

Original article retrieved from EBSCOHost.