According to a new study by Dr. Rhea Miles and Dr. Tony Thompson published in the National Teacher Education Journal, reflections on standardized assessments are prompting science teachers to improve their teaching practices.
Full details are available in the study.
“I Had No Idea!” A Snapshot of Science Teacher Perceptions of Student Performance on State, National and International Assessments. National Teacher Education Journal (Fall 2015), 8(3), pp. 61-66.
Abstract: A survey was used to explore science teachers perceptions of state (North Carolina), national (NAEP), and international assessments (TIMSS, PISA). Although familiar with state assessments, findings indicate that most science teachers were unaware of national and international assessments and felt their own students would not do as well as high-achieving students in other US states or nations. In addition, slightly less than half of the teachers felt their teaching corresponded with the ‘world class’ standards represented by NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA. This study also found that reviewing national and international assessments caused individual science teachers to question the nature and quality of their own curriculum, teaching, and assessments; as a consequence, several teachers used these “global” assessments as an innovative influence on improving science education “locally” in the their own classrooms.