What Does the Research Say About Testing?
There’s too much testing in schools, most teachers agree, but well-designed classroom tests and quizzes can improve student recall and retention.
October 25, 2019
"SETTING THE RIGHT TESTING CONDITIONS
Test achievement often reflects outside conditions, and how students do on tests can be shifted substantially by comments they hear and what they receive as feedback from teachers.
When teachers tell disadvantaged high school students that an upcoming assessment may be a challenge and that challenge helps the brain grow, students persist more, leading to higher grades, according to 2015 research from Stanford professor David Paunesku. Conversely, simply saying that some students are good at a task without including a growth-mindset message or the explanation that it’s because they are smart harms children’s performance—even when the task is as simple as drawing shapes.
Also harmful to student motivation are data walls displaying student scores or assessments. While data walls might be useful for educators, a 2014 study found that displaying them in classrooms led students to compare status rather than improve work.
The most positive impact on testing comes from peer or instructor comments that give the student the ability to revise or correct. For example, questions like, “Can you tell me more about what you mean?” or “Can you find evidence for that?” can encourage students to improve engagement with their work. Perhaps not surprisingly, students do well when given multiple chances to learn and improve—and when they’re encouraged to believe that they can."
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