Effects of Guidance on the Results of Standardized Achievement Testing

Abstract

This study, was designed to investigate the effects of motivational guidance activities on the results of standardized achievement testing. The achievement test administered was the ITED. The sample consisted of 270 ninth grade students, one-half of whom were randomly assigned to an experimental group, with the remaining one-half comprising the control group. No treatment was afforded the control group, but the experimental group took part in individual and group guidance sessions during which the results of past achievement testing and the “hows and whys” of test taking were discussed. The experimental group achieved higher mean scores on each subtest of the ITED, with significantly higher scores in English and mathematics.