VDM Landry, D: Teachers'perceptions Of Student Behaviors During

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of standardized testing on student behavior as perceived by their teachers. The study consisted of an online survey of 63 teachers and four individual interviews. Participants in the study were 63 teachers in grades kindergarten through fifth grade from two northeastern Oklahoma elementary school districts, and from a local university affiliate of a National Writing Project. Each participant completed an online survey. Four teachers were interviewed, two from an urban district and two from a suburban district. The methodological framework was a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological approach to human science. Six themes emerged from the data analysis. The themes identified included the following: (1) teacher memories of testing, (2) helplessness, (3) accountability and curriculum, (4) community, (5), nurturing, and (6) changes. The study found teachers perceived many changes in student behavior during testing; teacher memories of testing impact role of nurturing during testing; and the classroom physical environment changes during testing.