Alisha Swart’s research examined the stressors urban elementary teachers experienced when preparing for standardized testing.
Although well-known that teacher stress develops from high stakes testing, few studies have directly asked teachers to describe their experiences. Employing a qualitative narrative inquiry, urban elementary teachers across New England urban school districts were queried regarding their coping and competence and the context in which they experienced stress during test preparation. Her findings revealed that urban elementary teachers’ stress was related to limited professional development regarding testing protocols. They perceived stress impacted relationships with administrators, other teachers and students and contributed to a decline in competence. Curriculum pacing and feelings of heightened accountability were also impacted. Student anxiety during testing periods also contributed to increased teacher stress. Participants described using various coping strategies, such as engaging in self-care practices to aid in stress management.
Her work recommends increased professional development and the strengthening of teacher support systems focused on stress management.
Please see the attached flyer for the Teams link for the presentation on Friday, March 27 at 3 p.m.