Attitudes of behaviorally disordered students toward tests: a replication

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Special Education

Background:

• Student attitudes toward academic achievement testing can influence performance.
• Previous research indicates potential differences in attitudes between students with behavioral disorders and their peers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the test attitudes of behaviorally disordered students with those of average students.
• To investigate if behaviorally disordered students report significantly different attitudes after standardized achievement testing.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 48 behaviorally disordered students and 48 average students participated.
• Participants completed a test attitude survey immediately following district-wide standardized achievement testing.

Main Results:

• Results indicated that behaviorally disordered students reported poorer attitudes toward the achievement tests.
• The findings were consistent with existing literature suggesting a negative attitude-performance link in this population.

Conclusions:

• Behaviorally disordered students may exhibit more negative attitudes towards standardized achievement testing.
• Educational interventions should consider student attitudes as a factor in academic engagement and outcomes for behaviorally disordered students.