An exploratory study was conducted to examine the perspectives of teacher candidates (TCs) and mentor teachers (MTs) of a clinically rich model (CRM) implemented within a physical education teacher education (PETE) program as compared to a traditional model (TM) of student teaching. Survey questions were focused on participant's perceptions of the…

The purpose of the research is to investigate the behaviour of school personnel under two assessment-reporting conditions and school functioning when faced with the choice of excelling in high-stakes tests or catering to local educational needs. The functioning of 60 schools was compared in terms of their preparation for high-risk external tests…

The effect of using tests in test preparation courses has been subject to debate. While some scholars such as Yang and Badger (2015) believe it is a cause of positive washback effect, others argue that this issue is tentative and context-bound (Green, 2007). Therefore, this study investigated the effect of using Mock tests in International English…

Many medical schools have adopted multiple mini-interviews (MMI) as an advanced selection tool. MMIs are expensive and used to test only a few dozen candidates per day, making it infeasible to develop a different test version for each test administration. Therefore, some items are reused both within and across years. This study investigated the…

The ultimate aim of our research project was to use the Google Web Speech API to automate scoring of elicited imitation (EI) tests. However, in order to achieve this goal, we had to take a number of preparatory steps. We needed to assess how accurate this speech recognition tool is in recognizing native speakers' production of the test items; we…

The use of integrated skills tasks in language tests has been debated for many years and international English test developers such as Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Pearson Tests of English (PTE) already use such tests to assess English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' language proficiency. Empirical research has rarely investigated…

Black middle school students in the United States continue to perform poorly on standardized reading achievement tests in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. The purpose of this research study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary-focused test preparation program for Black middle school students. The theoretical framework…

This investigation explored the use of strategic instruction to improve the essay-test taking skills of young adults who were enrolled in a campus-based, post-secondary education program for individuals with developmental disabilities. A random assignment to treatment or control groups and a pre- and posttest design was used. The participants…

Entry into a career in law enforcement is most often dependent upon the aspiring candidate's relative success on a competitive, written, multiple-choice examination. In the state of New Jersey, as in many states, civil service laws preclude consideration of formal educational attainment when establishing the ordinal, eligibles lists for law…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the types of preparation that students used to prepare for the Texas Examination for Educators Standards (TExES) Examination. Specifically, this study was concerned with the different types of preparation methods that impact test scores based on gender, ethnicity, age and specialization. The…

An extensive database of exam scores is studied to determine the effects of a grading policy that drops the lowest exam score. We find evidence that some students engage in strategic behavior, either by understudying for one of the exams or missing one altogether, but the vast majority of students show no evidence of strategic behavior. We also…

Although much is known about how students perform on standardized tests, little research exists concerning how students think and process while taking such tests. This mixed methods action research study was designed to investigate if a constructivist approach to test preparation could yield improved results for 37 English language arts freshmen…

The Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) is dedicated to providing high school students opportunities to enroll in college-level courses while in high school. The advantages of such accelerated opportunities are both financial and educational. The AP Program is available internationally. As a result of its widespread availability, considerable effort…