Faculty of Education - Theses

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Author: Warren-Smith, Judy P. × End date: 1999 × Start date: 1980 × Type: Masters Research thesis × Subject: mathematics ×

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    The place of non-verbal tests in a battery used for school purposes in Years 6 and 7
    Warren-Smith, Judy P. ( 1997)
    This thesis examines the power of a battery of tests to predict student success in Mathematics and English at the Year 7 level. The battery comprises The Progressive Achievement Test of Mathematics, The Progressive Achievement Test of Reading Comprehension, a Creative Writing Test and a non-verbal test. The researcher seeks to establish the value of including a non-verbal test in such a battery, to determine whether the capacity of the battery is enhanced by the inclusion of a non-verbal test. Two non-verbal tests are considered: the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices and the Jenkins Non-Verbal Test. The outcome measures used in this study are the Semester 1 Mathematics and the Semester 1 English Assessments. The participants are 97 female students aged between 11.08 years - 12.92 years entering the secondary level of a K-12 private girls' school in the metropolitan area of Melbourne. Participants are tested in groups of approximately 25 students in controlled test conditions. Their scores are recorded and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences is used to derive summary statistics and correlation co-efficients, and to perform multiple regression analyses. The findings indicate that student success, as reflected by the Semester 1 assessments in Mathematics and English, can be effectively predicted by the PAT Mathematics and PAT Reading Comprehension Tests alone, and that the Creative Writing test also predicts reasonably well the Semester 1 English results. The achievement tests in the battery appear to be measuring "g", the factor of general intelligence. However, the non-verbal tests, whilst redundant, for predicting achievement in Mathematics and English, have an important part to play in the battery based on their inherent value as culture-fair tests. Not reliant on language ability or literacy proficiency, non-verbal tests do not discriminate against students from non-English speaking backgrounds or against those who are experiencing learning difficulties. These tests appear to have the capacity to pick up discrepancies between a student's potential to learn and her actual academic achievement. The results indicate that the Jenkins non-verbal test may be particularly good at highlighting students whose low general ability places them at risk for learning, whilst the Raven's SPM may be superior at highlighting those of very high general ability whose school achievement levels are not matching their potential for learning. Both non-verbal tests may have the ability to highlight learning potential in foreign students. Although it is suggested by the literature, and pointed to by the present study, the worth of including a non-verbal test in the battery, and the superiority of the Raven's SPM in relation to the identification of students of exceptional ability, require clarification by means of further research. The results of this study have implications for teaching practice and the programming of appropriate curricula for students. Efficient and effective identification of less able students, very highly able students, students who have English as a Second Language needs, and students with learning difficulties appears to be facilitated by the battery. Such identification demands a closer look at these students whose learning appears at risk. Further investigation, including a full intellectual assessment and the gathering of more information regarding the student's learning style and home background may then provide valuable information on which to base decisions regarding appropriate class placement, suitable curricula as well as the effective pace and style of teaching which should be adopted. It is clear therefore, that the test battery is working: results demonstrate that the battery is useful in predicting student success at the Year 7 level. In conjunction with other means of investigation the battery promises to yield information to school personnel which may facilitate the design of programmes whose aims include the maximising of every student's potential for learning.