The Influence of State-Mandated Testing on Teachers of Literature

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of state-mandated tests on the thoughts and actions of three middle school-junior high school literature teachers. Case studies revealed that the changes the tests caused in their teaching were a function of two factors: (a) the fit between the teacher’s preferred approach to teaching literature and the conception of literature embodied in the state tests, and (b) the amount of “curricular power” the teacher held—that is, the teacher’s place in the curricular decision-making structure of the school. The conclusions suggest that a subject such as literature, for which several competing conceptions currently exist, presents special problems during a time when tests are being used to influence classroom practice.