Legislating Instruction in Urban Schools: Unintended Consequences of Accountability Policy on Teacher-Reported Classroom Goal Structures

Abstract

Scholars have documented the effects of accountability policies on student outcomes and, to a lesser extent, instruction. Beyond test preparation and curriculum narrowing, little empirical evidence has examined the relationship between policy and pedagogy. Guided by social cognitive and achievement goal theories, this study explored the relationship between U.S. federal education policies and teacher-reported classroom goal orientation. Survey data from approximately 260 teachers were analyzed in conjunction with interviews from seven teachers in a sequential explanatory design. Findings suggest accountability policies create environments conducive to performance goal orientation. The irony of policy intentions and instructional implications for student learning are explored.