Influence of high-stakes tests on teaching styles of science teachers in senior secondary schools in Nigeria

Abstract

The problem of teaching styles of teachers in the science arm of secondary schools in Nigeria has been a subject of concern and discuss. Many studies have been carried out to investigate factors that affect teaching styles but very few have considered the role of high-stakes tests. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of high-stakes tests on the teaching styles of science teachers in senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Two research questions were raised and answered, and three hypotheses were formulated and tested to guide the study at a .05 level of significance. The study used a descriptive research design. A sample of 6349 students and teachers was utilized for the study. The research instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire titled: High-stakes and Teaching Styles Questionnaire (HSTSQ). The instrument was subjected to face and content validity; Cronbach Alpha reliability analysis yielded a 0.84 coefficient. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression and independent t-test statistics. The results using multiple regression revealed that significant influence exists for the independent variable (high-stakes tests, r = 0.408, p < 0.05). The mean difference in the opinions of the respondents regarding high-stakes tests was higher for teachers (X̅ = 53.63, SD = 6.77) than students (X̅ = 52.8904, SD = 7.55), t(6347) = -2.704, p > 0.05, F = 1.322, p = .250), and there was a significant difference. In conclusion, high-stakes test factors have a significant influence on the teaching styles of teachers. Therefore, it is recommended among others, that teachers and educators should pay attention to the effects of high-stakes testing in their schools.