Timed Math Tests & Student Anxiety
-Kim Viliborghi
My Action Research
Therefore, the research questions for my study is: What are student dispositions toward taking timed math computation tests? Given the same length and content, will students perform better on math computation tests when they are untimed?
Methodology
On weeks 1, 3, and 5, I administered the timed test, and on alternating weeks, 2, 4, and 6, I administered the untimed tests. At the conclusion of the 6 weeks I evaluated the information for data and patterns. The data collected from the surveys was used qualitatively to single out specific statements to discuss and compare with other data in my study to support the conclusions I made. The transcribed qualitative commentary collected from the initial student feeling sheets was coded for patterns or themes that emerged relating to how students described their experience with the timed math tests. My quantitative data was analyzed after I combined the scores and acquired an average for each student. I compared the timed tests against the untimed tests and reported the data on a table.
Data Results
Averages of Timed Multiplication Assessments
41.06
Averages of Untimed Multiplication Assessments
99.47
Additionally, regarding the disposition of the students on timed vs. untimed tests was equally significant. When interviewed about taking their timed test 18 of my students reported that they were nervous to take this test and only 1 student said that he felt confident. Two students wrote in that they felt in-between nervous and confident. When asked about the untimed test 20 students reported that they felt confident taking this test and only one student said that they felt nervous.
Conclusion
From my research I found that students perform much better on math computation tests when they are untimed and their dispositions on untimed tests were much more tranquil and confident. The end data results clearly show that the tests that we administered to the students without timing were clearly shown to produce better results. Their scores for untimed tests more than doubled as an overall score and my subgroup student even showed a much better scoring on the untimed test. The qualitative data also showed a positive response by the students for the untimed test regarding their feelings and anxiety level before they took the test and how they felt about their performance after the test. The timed tests were a clear source of anxiety when I coded the interview data, in clear opposition to that was the untimed test interviews where the students indicated that they felt much more confident and felt less anxiety taking those tests. Even a couple of times in the classroom when I announced that the testing would be for the timed test a few students audibly signed and indicated that the liked the untimed test much better.