Six grade 6 students' perceptions of the Ontario Province-wide reading and writing assessments

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated Grade Six Students' Perceptions of the Ontario Province-wide Reading and Writing Assessments. The participants in the study were six Grade 6 students attending a rural school in Northwestern Ontario, and their teacher. Four themes emerged from the analysis of the qualitative data: (a) preparation for the Provincial Assessments; (b) preassessment perceptions; (c) cognitive, metacognitive and affective perceptions relating to test performance; and (d) post-assessment reflections. The finding of this study suggest that the pre-assessment perceptions formed by participants may be influenced by external factors including the following: test preparation practices, their level of awareness regarding the need for testing and usage of test scores, affective responses to testing and motivation to perform. Participants' reported use of cognitive and metacognitive reading and writing strategies and their affective response to testing provided insight into perceptions that may affect test performance. Finally, post-assessment reflections suggest that participants responded easily to questions that required less controlled and more personally relevant responses. The suggested changes made by participants regarding the assessment content reflected ± e ir need for more freedom of choice and opportunities to use exercise their creativity.