Teachers’ Written Examination Assessed By Students (TWEAST)

Abstract

The study focused on the testing practices of the teachers in the tertiary level of College of Teacher Education of Benguet State University. Specifically, it aimed to determine the extent to which the principles and guidelines in paper and pencil tests are observed by teachers; determine the association between the teachers’ testing practices and their profile in terms of highest educational attainment, length of service, nature of assignment, and number of preparations; determine the extent to which identified factors affect the teachers’ practices in testing; and determine the relationship between the identified factors that affect the teachers’ testing practices and their profile, namely: highest educational attainment, length of service, nature of assignment, and number of preparations.

The study involved 22 teachers who are handling professional education subjects and 884  students in the junior and senior levels who have completed the course Educational Tests, Measurement and Evaluation. Survey questionnaires were administered  to both teacher- and student-respondents; the one for the students was designed based on the principles of test construction.

Findings show that teachers of the College of Teacher Education generally practice the general principles and guidelines in testing. They also observe the specific guidelines in test construction, specifically in completion, enumeration, labeling, analogy, rearrangement, and essay test. However, principles in the construction of alternate response, multiple choice and matching tests are sometimes followed. Proper test administration practices are always observed by the teachers of the College of Teacher Education.

Teachers’ length of service, number of preparations, and nature of works have a significant inverse relationship with their testing practices. This means that the higher the number of years in service is, the lower the observance of the testing principles. Similarly, greater number of preparations means that the principles of testing are practiced less. Likewise, full time teachers have a tendency to observe the testing principles less.

On the other hands, the teachers’ highest educational attainment does not affect the teachers’ testing practices at all. The identified factors have a slight positive influence over the teachers’ testing practices.

The teachers’ length of service is directly correlated with the influence of the factors on their testing practices. Thus, greater number of years in teaching means more positive viewpoint on the influence of the factors. Meanwhile, the teachers’ highest educational attainment, nature of work, and number of preparations is inversely correlated with the effect of the pre-identified factors over their testing practices. This means that teachers who have post-baccalaureate degrees and greater number of preparations are apt to view the elements of test preparation negatively while teachers with administrative work have more positive viewpoint towards these factors.