Insights into beliefs on 11 + testing in Trinidad and Tobago through an interpretation/use argument

Abstract

In the Caribbean there is still strong public belief in and support for the value and potency of early high stakes examinations at the end of primary school. This belief system is based upon the perceived plausibility and credibility of policy claims and arguments. To decipher the belief system, an interpretation/use argument protocol was used. After extracting and explicating policy claims, Q-Methodology was employed to judge the perceived value of each policy claim for parents, teachers, and students. Q-analysis data were interpreted using a typology constructed from mass social movement theory. The 3 ideal types identified were True Believers, Reluctant Believers, and Non-Believers. Variants of each type were related to specific policy issues. True and Reluctant Believers constitute the majority of parents and teachers. The largest number of Non-Believers were for teachers. Dynamic and changing policy arguments appear to buttress the believability of early high-stakes testing in this context.