Using Cognitive Analyses To Understand Motivational And Situational Influences In Science Achievement

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between students’ test perceptions, motivation and engagement in multiple-choice and performance assessment testing contexts. Thirty-three students, a subset of which were classified as mastery-oriented or performance oriented, participated in three think-aloud test sessions and described both their thoughts and feelings as they completed the test items. Students also answered a series of follow-up interview questions related to their motivation during testing and perceptions of the test items. In general, students perceived performance assessments as more valid, interesting and challenging compared to multiple-choice tests. Mastery-oriented students were more likely to use strategic knowledge and help-seeking strategies than performance-oriented students. Performance oriented students tended to rely more on declarative and procedural knowledge during problem solving. Implications of these findings for test score interpretation and assessment development are discussed.