The impact of SATs

The mend of SATsSpecial Study What impact do Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) have on the study of primary coil school children in the final course of instruction of each keyst integrity comprise?Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) have been an integral die of summative estimation in primary education since their introduction in the 1990s. These hearings, occurring at the end of each of the freshman two distinguish periods, usually take place in May, when Year Two children sit tests in English and Maths, and Year Six children be tested in English, Maths and Science.The rationale for these tests was that the results should, first, genuinely give randomness about how children were doing in the National Curriculum (Sainsbury and Sizmur, 1996). Secondly, these assessments should provide an authentic reflection of the kinds of work children have to do in following the curriculum (Sainsbury and Sizmur, 1996). However, from the outset, SATs have attracted sizable criticism in t he media, non only from teachers and p atomic number 18nts, but as well as from education researchers and government officials (Yarker, 2003). This criticism stems from the nonion that these groups do non believe that either part of the above rationale is being ideologically or practically adhered to. In the first instance, they argue that the most important reason for collating the test results is not to recover individual childrens attainment levels, but alternatively to compare the overall attainment of one school with others. In the second instance, they argue that the tests, and their implementation, do not accurately reflect the range of educational tasks downstairstaken by children in school by posing a series of predominantly closed questions under strict, timed test conditions, all the test results indicate is a level of the childrens competence at fetching tests, and not their ability in the subject in question.According to Wintle and Harrison (1999), these test res ults are the most signifi passelt performance indicator used by teachers, inspectors, parents and other professionals. However, one major component group is missing from this statement the children victorious the tests. It is crucial to examine the douses surrounding the impact that SATs have on these children, so that an overall view of the situation can be established. These issues can be sort into three broad categories. Firstly, it is important to apportion how and why childrens learning is affected by SATs. Secondly, childrens attitudes, both(prenominal) towards this aspect of their schooling and likewise to the test itself, need to be discussed and analysed. Finally, it is vital to examine the emotional effects SATs have on children, and the causes and consequences of these effects.One of the principal effects on childrens learning, according to research by Connors et al (2009), is the issue of children being taught to the test in the months and weeks preceding the eventu al sitting of the SATs. This involves schoolroom activities such as children learning how to answer typical SATs questions and the taking of practice tests, in addition to the delivery of the National Curriculum in the relevant subjects. In roughly respects, this can be beneficial to children. For example, they should be well prepared for the face of questions that bequeath be posed in the SATs it might be concluded from this that they will gain higher mark. Moreover, it may incontrovertiblely impact on childrens behaviour, as argued by Hall et al (2004), where the taking of practice tests improves childrens concentration and greatly reduces classroom disruption, as they regularly need to display these attributes under test conditions. on that point are, however, other respects in which the methodical approach of teaching to the test may be disadvantageous to childrens learning. For instance, due to the importance of SATs for summative assessment purposes, teachers looking a t personally accountable for their pupils results (Connors et al, 2009). This is for two main reasons firstly, they are responsible for the academic progress of the children in their class, and therefore feel that whatever marks these children obtain in their SATs reflect their competence as practitioners. Secondly, on a broader scale, they also feel pressurised into teaching to the test in order to maintain or improve the schools smear in the SATs league tables, and also to meet national targets. This can have a negative impact on childrens learning as, during these heavily SATs-focused lessons, children are taught query technique rather than developing the knowledge and skills the test is designed to assess (Hall et al, 2004). This limits a holistic approach to their education, as this teaching method revolves around retrospect and repetition, rather than skills and application. Furthermore, because teachers are limited as to how far they can deviate from the curriculum, the s plow for creativity in these lessons is greatly reduced.Another expression in which SATs impact upon childrens learning concerns the event that an increasing percentage of the school timetable is being dedicated to the teaching of the SATs subjects, according to research by Webb (2006). Although English, Maths and Science, due to their long-established importance crossways all Key Stages, have always featured prominently in the school schedule, the danger exists that a disproportionate amount of the school week will be spent on the teaching and learning of these subjects, primarily caused by the teachers feeling of personal accountability (Connors et al, 2009). Consequently, the rest of the primary curriculum subjects, especially art, medical specialty and physical education (Webb, 2006) may not have as much time devoted to them. This would adversely affect the childrens right to receiving a broad and balanced primary school curriculum. Taking this potential curricular imbalan ce a stage further, some schools organise weekend and after-school SATs clubs, and some parents enlist close tutors for extra SATs coaching sessions (Byrne and McGavin, 2004). On a positive note, these courses of action may help to increase childrens confidence and competence in the target subjects. However, these constant levels of coaching, both during and after school hours, may change childrens attitudes towards SATs-orientated teaching and learning, and their eventual participation in the tests themselves.According to research by Connors et al (2009), some children, especially those taking the Key Stage Two SATs, regard both the prior preparation and the test itself to be ways of challenging themselves at school. This sense of challenge can increase childrens motivation and application levels in the classroom (Drummond, 2003), as children testify to meet the demands of an increasing, more intense academic workload, and acquire new knowledge and skills. What is unclear, howeve r, is whether these change magnitude motivation and application levels are mirrored in non-SATs subjects. Another positive aspect of the challenge of SATs is that many children associate hard work with higher marks (Webb, 2006), which can be an additional motivational factor. Although it could be argued that aptitude, rather than attitude, contributes to higher levels of outlook uponment, it is nevertheless important to encourage this positive thinking. This idea is extended on a social level by Byrne and McGavin (2004), who argue that the achievement of higher marks can add a competitive element to educational proceedings, as children try to achieve more highly than their peers do. However, it is important to note that this has the potential to cause emotional di line to the child who does not perform as well as others, even if the competition is meant to be friendly and light-hearted.In contrast, many children have a much more negative attitude towards SATs and the teaching and learning associated with it. Referring seat to the challenge of SATs, according to research by Hall et al (2004), some children, rather than viewing them as a challenge to be overcome, regard them instead as either a bridge too far or, even worse, a complete waste of time. In the case of these children, these negative attitudes may be caused by a variety of factors. For example, they may be lower achievers who find the increased intensity of, and the amount of time devoted to, SATs preparation herculean to cope with. This can cause them to become disillusioned about the SATs, which, in turn, can have an adverse affect on their behaviour and motivation levels. At Key Stage Two level, many schools place children into ability groups in the SATs subjects (Webb, 2006) this can alleviate this problem to a certain extent, as their individual learning of necessity can be more appropriately catered for. Nevertheless, it could be argued that, although the level and pace of such learning wo uld be more appropriate for lower achieving children, this solution does not directly address these childrens possible concerns about the amount of time allocated to the SATs subjects. A further concern for lower achieving children, according to Yarker (2003), is that, if they do not achieve what they consider to be good marks in the tests themselves, they will be labelled as failures. It is, however, important to clarify that these children are never labelled in this way by teachers, but by the children themselves, who are concerned about the effect that SATs results will have on their future, both academically and motivationally.Another factor that may cause children to have a negative attitude towards the SATs is highlighted by Wintle and Harrison (1999), who argue that the concentration on SATs preparation is linear and regimented to such an extent that children no longer have any ownership of it. This can have a distinct attitudinal effect on the children. They may become disil lusioned by the fact that, because of the focus on SATs work, they are simply undertaking activities and tasks for the sake of knowing how to do them for SATs purposes, rather than for the benefit of their own learning. Cullingford (2006) echoes this view, stating that, with regard to SATs preparation, children perceive their task in school as not so much to think as to guess what it is that the teachers want.Moreover, further research conducted by Cullingford (2006) suggests that many children, particularly those at Key Stage Two level, are surprisingly aware of the importance of SATs and even the significance of league tables. It can therefore be argued that they consider SATs to be one of the most, if not the most crucial aspect of their schooling during the final year of each Key Stage. This attitude can have a positive or adverse effect on their commitment to the SATs and the preparation for them again, this depends on the attitude and aptitude of individual children.This surpr isingly common awareness of the importance of both the SATs and the results they achieve in them is one way in which children can become not only attitudinally affected, but also emotionally affected by them. In this instance, because of the laborious focus on preparing for the tests, children may feel pressurised, and in many cases excessively so, for two main reasons. Firstly, according to a study by Connors et al (2009), some children put themselves under push to perform well because they have worrisome thoughts and concerns about the consequences of failure if they do not. It could be argued that this level of worry should have no place in the mind of a child of primary school age, although it does further illustrate the importance the children place on SATs. Secondly, many children realise that SATs results are important to their teachers consequently, the children also perceive them as important (Webb, 2006). This realisation, generally speaking, is a subconscious one the ch ildren are not told outright by the teacher that the SATs are important. Instead, the curricular focus on the preparation for the SATs signifies their importance in the childrens minds. Furthermore, if the children respect their teacher (the way they should in an ideal situation), then they may feel under pressure to perform well in the SATs to attempt to prove that their teacher has taught them well, thus enhancing their reputation. One final important point about this kind of pressure is that it may not necessarily have a negative effect on all children conversely, some children may thrive on it, and work harder and achieve higher as a consequence.It can be argued that any increase in pressure will increase the likelihood of stress and anxiety, particularly in the case of children, who will not have had the experience of coping with such pressure increases at this stage of their lives. According to Yarker (2003), children, particularly at Key Stage One level, become stressed throu gh constant teaching to the test and test practice, due to both its intensity, and its implementation to the apparent exclusion of the rest of the curriculum. However, Byrne and McGavin (2004), whilst acknowledging the stress that this may cause to children, argue that it is the thought of, and the participation in, the tests themselves that cause the highest levels of stress and anxiety in children. In certain severe cases, research has even observed a direct link between these SATs related stress levels that can be detrimental to the childs health and their life outside school, such as going of sleep (Yarker, 2003), loss of appetite (Hall et al, 2004) and headaches (Connors et al, 2009).With regard to childrens emotions about the prospect of being formally tested, some children were excited and were looking forward to taking the tests, according to a survey by Connors et al (2009). A possible reason for this could be the fact that they may regard the tests as the culmination of their hard work, and they offer them the chance to put their newly acquired skills and knowledge into practice. They can prove to themselves and to their teachers that they have learnt what the tests require them to learn. In contrast, other children can display signs of nervousness and apprehension during the period right off prior to taking the tests (Connors et al, 2009). Reasons for this could include the fear of getting a poor result, which may not only adversely affect their self-esteem, but may also make the child think that their teacher (and possibly their parents and their peers) will think less of them as a result. They may also worry that they have not worked hard enough, or not achieved enough in the target subjects to obtain the level that they want to achieve. Furthermore, children can often have problems during the taking of the test itself (Byrne and McGavin, 2004), not only for the aforementioned reasons, but also due to other factors. For instance, many children, particularly at Key Stage One level, may find it difficult to formulate answers and recall previous learning and knowledge under the pressure of timed test conditions. Furthermore, if the child is not in a prepared, focused raise of mind before the test starts, this can affect their performance on the day, which could lead to a lower, potentially misleading test result.In conclusion, it is clear from the certify that primary schools take the process of preparing children for the SATs tests very seriously. However, the way in which this issue is approached depends on the individual school concerned, and the ways in which they implement their teaching and classroom procedures. One thing remains constant, though. Regardless of the methods used, and the reasoning behind them, SATs will have an academic, attitudinal and emotional impact on childrens education in the final year of each Key Stage. Although the evidence available has predominantly shown a bias towards SATs having a negat ive impact in these respects, they can have a positive impact under the right physical and mental conditions. In the same way that the approach to SATs depends on the individual school, the level and the inclination of the impact depends on the individual child, and their individual level of aptitude, dedication, self-belief and resolve.Reference List / BibliographyByrne, K. McGavin, H. (2004) A parents guide to primary school. London ContinuumConnors, L. et al (2009) Causes and consequences of test anxiety in Key Stage 2 pupils the mediational role of emotional resilience. In British Educational Research Association Annual Conference. University of Manchester, 2-5 September 2009.Cullingford, C. (2006) Pupils views of the school experience. In Webb, R. (ed) Changing teaching and learning in the primary school. Maidenhead Open University PressDrummond, M. J. (2003) Assessing childrens learning. 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