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Understanding the impact of standardised assessments on the academic performance of students is important for all educators, school leaders, and parents. Academic standardised assessments have been used in schools and universities for a very long time.
These standardised tests are designed to measure a student’s performance and understanding of the subject being tested. The results of these tests are then sent to the individual schools so that educators can get a better understanding of how their students compare to others of similar age from other schools around the world.
Let’s discuss some of the implications associated with standardised assessments and how they can impact a student’s academic performance.
Standardised Tests Help Teachers To Understand Their Students Better
As all students are required to do the same tests, teachers can identify how their students are performing in relation to the curriculum set in the classroom. This allows them to look at the lessons that they provide to see whether improvements can be made.
For example, maybe teachers need to incorporate more practical activities rather than just reading and talking about the subject matter. Some students learn better when they are able to physically see and practice what they’re being taught.
By looking at the test results, if half the students have done well and the other half have not, then it’s up to the educators to ascertain why this was the case. It may be that the students who didn’t do as well as the others need a different style of lesson to help them comprehend the subject matter.
Standardised Testing Can Identify Different Learning Styles
By analysing the data received from the test results, teachers and educators can identify students that have different styles of learning. They can then structure their classroom lessons to cater to these students.
For example, some students are more visual and work better with pictures and diagrams while other students are more hands-on and benefit from more practical type assessments alongside the standardised tests.
This could also prompt teachers to hold classes that instruct students on the best way to answer some of these types of questions. For some students, practice testing in a more relaxed classroom situation can give them the confidence that they need to achieve better results when they next sit for a standardised test.
Standardised Assessments Can Be Used In Conjunction With Other Types Of Assessments
In standardised assessments, all students are given the same test in exactly the same format and have the same amount of time to complete the assessment.
This type of testing is designed to measure how well the student has absorbed the subject matter and to demonstrate their level of knowledge. However, these standardised tests do not take into account how different each student is in both their learning ability and their ability to put their knowledge into practical use.
Therefore, it allows teachers to identify students that have a different style of learning or the ability to demonstrate what they’ve learned in a different way. In the past, these students would have likely fallen through the cracks. However, with standardised testing, these students can be assisted by offering other types of assessments in conjunction with standardised tests that will allow them to show off their ability in any particular subject.
Summing Up
Standardised assessments have been used throughout schools and universities for many years now. This type of testing definitely has its merits because it allows teachers to learn more about their students and the way that they learn best.
This, in turn, will allow educators to take a serious look at the curriculum that they teach and make necessary adjustments so that all students have an equal opportunity to get the results that they’re capable of.