Preservice and beginning teachers’ perceptions of the influence of high stakes tests on their literacy‐related instructional beliefs and decisions

Abstract This longitudinal study examined preservice and beginning teachers’ perceptions of ways their literacy related instructional beliefs and decisions were affected by learning to teach in a high stakes testing environment. Data collection over a three‐year period included open‐ended survey responses from 64 teacher interns and individual interview responses from 8 former interns during the first and second years of teaching. Responses to the surveys and individual interviews were coded using themes that emerged from the data. Results of the study indicated that the preservice and beginning teachers varied in their perceptions of how high stakes tests influenced their literacy instruction. While many participants described strong influences of these tests on their instructional decisions, others reported only minimal effects. In addition, teachers frequently reported effects on their instructional decisions, but no effect on their instructional beliefs.