New Zealand Science Teacher

High stakes testing: add your voice

13/06/2016

University of Auckland postgraduate researcher Zoe Klomp is conducting research that could help us understand the effect that ‘high stakes testing’ - read NCEA - has on the choices you as a teacher make in the classroom, and how the pressures exerted by NCEA affect the way you teach. Complete the questionnaire and add your voice to this crucial research! Zoe explains her project:

To complete the 10-minute questionnaire, go here

“I am a postgraduate student at the University of Auckland, writing my Master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr Kane Meissel and Dr Aaron Wilson. I would like to invite you to participate in a research project for my Master’s thesis. The research would involve filling out an online questionnaire, which should not take longer than 15 minutes to complete.

“The purpose of this research is to investigate the impacts that high stakes testing, namely NCEA, have on the pedagogical choices you make in the classroom. I want to know if the increased publicity of test scores increases the pressure to improve student results, and if that impacts the time that is allocated to certain subjects and skills - assessed and non-assessed. In order to gain as wide a variety of responses as possible, this request to participate is being sent to every secondary school in New Zealand.

My research builds on that from the recent NZCER (New Zealand Council for Educational Research) Secondary Schools survey, but looks more specifically at the impacts on teachers and how they perceive high stakes testing, in terms of its influence on their autonomy in lesson planning and classroom practice.

“This includes questions about the culture of your school - asking you about your colleagues and employer. Your employer will not have access to your results, nor will they be informed of your participation. Your Principal has given assurance that your participation or nonparticipation will not affect your relationship with the school.

“No identifying data is taken with your questionnaire, therefore you will be unable to withdraw your responses once you have submitted the survey. All collected data will be stored in a secure database at the University of Auckland for six years and then destroyed; all paper documentation will be shredded and computer files will be overwritten.

“The analysed data will be used to write a thesis to meet the requirements of a Master of Arts programme at the University of Auckland and may be used thereafter to write an academic article.

“There is a small chance that close family or friends may be able to identify you through quotes taken from your responses. However, every precaution will be taken to ensure your confidentiality. In the event that identifying information is given for the open-ended question, pseudonyms will be used before any quotes are used in the research.

“In the unlikely event that questionnaire answers reveal illegal behaviour, the researcher will be unable to contact or identify you. However, it may be reported in the thesis where it adds to the research. If you would like a summary of the findings, please email the student researcher and a copy will be emailed to you on conclusion of the research.

“Thank you very much for your time and help in making this research possible. If you have any questions or concerns you wish to discuss, please contact the appropriate person from the following members of this research project.”

 

Zoe Klomp Email: zklo138@auckland.ac.nz

 

Dr Kane Meissel Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre 1142 Tel: 09-623 8899 Ext 48722. Email: k.meissel@auckland.ac.nz

 

Dr Aaron Wilson Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre 1142 Tel: 09-623 8899 Ext 48574. Email: aj.wilson@auckland.ac.nz

 

Associate Professor Lorri Michelle Johnson Santamaria Head of School Learning Development and Professional Practice Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre 1142 Tel: 09-373 7999 Ext 46353. Email: l.santamaria@auckland.ac.nz

For any queries regarding ethical concerns you may contact the Chair, The University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee, The University of Auckland, Research Office, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142. Telephone 09 373-7599 ext. 83711. Email: ro-ethics@auckland.ac.nz

Approved by the University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee on 02 May 2016 for three years. Reference number 017081