Intelligence Cannot be Defined by Exams

Intelligence Cannot be Defined by Exams

Introduction

Test scores are not the most accurate indication of individual competency. However, most educational institutions use test scores to assess the progress of their learners but grades should not be the primary way to reflect a learner’s intelligence. Tests mainly analyze a learner’s ability to memorize information. Moreover, student’s experience so much pressure to get good grades in their tests to the point that they become obsessed with performing well rather than understanding concepts that they are taught. There are other ways that are accurate and reliable in evaluating learner’s abilities but are not being used in institutions. This essay will reflect the shortcoming of using test scores as the sole method of measuring individual competency.

Argument

Grades are as a result of effort and not intelligence (Neubert et al,2016). A student with a lower IQ can work hard and get good results, but that does not provide a ground to determine whether he or she is intelligent. Intelligence is reflected by a student’s ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills (Greiff et al,2016). This means that each person has specialized fields in which they can best utilize their skills and gifts. Tests do not provide a diverse platform to cater to the different skills and abilities of students being tested (Wüstenberg et al,2016). A student may pass a test but not understand the concepts taught in the classroom. This shows that the student is under pressure to get good grades rather than to focus on comprehending the concepts covered in class.

Test scores only examine areas that are highlighted as necessary by the syllabus or course outline. An individual’s competency may go beyond the syllabus, and this limits the individual’s opportunity to exploit their full potential (Siddiek,2018). On the other hand, a student may not reach the goals outlined in the syllabus but instead improve as an individual. The fact that a test will classify this individual as a failure may discourage them and may further limit them from enhancing their individual competency. Learning should be a process where individuals accomplish their goals according to their abilities instead of setting goals for them and classifying those who do not achieve them as ‘failures’ (Haimovitz et al,2016). In addition to this, tests cause teachers to narrow the curriculum so that they only focus on what is tested instead of what is applicable.

There is a lot of comparisons that come with tests (Siddiek,2018). This may cause some students to have low self-esteem, especially when they compare their performance with that of their peers. In some cases, institutions may use tests results to segregate students whereby those who performed well are given more attention so that they do better in future tests and those who did not perform well are separated so that they may be given special attention. The aim of this action is usually to help student’s according to their abilities and level of understanding, but in most cases, it ends up making some students feel incompetent and further lower their esteem due to segregation. This technique is only efficient for boosting performance, but it is not proficient in increasing individual competency (Siddiek,2018). An individual will improve by interacting with other people so that he or she may learn new insights from others. The comparison that is brought about by tests may also lead to unhealthy competition. This happens whereby learner’s get obsessed with getting higher grades than their peers, and it results in students focusing on memorizing as much content as possible so as to defeat their peers in the test. When this happens, it is difficult for them to focus on comprehension of the concept taught since their main aim becomes doing better than other peers (Siddiek,2018).

Test scores do not give out an accurate picture of a student’s natural abilities. This is because there are other factors that can contribute to poor performance, such as anxiety, illness, and test anxiety. Moreover, the outcomes do not show the level of knowledge of learners (Whitehurst,2016). For instance, a student who is good in writing is likely to struggle in a multiple-choice grammar test, but the student will do well in logical essays. The tests can be predictable at times; thus, students who can identify the test patterns can pass the tests without reflecting an understanding of what they are taught. Additionally, research done by Brookings stated that 80% of test score improvements do not reflect long-term learning changes (Whitehurst,2016).

Learners’ understanding should be the knowledge that is applicable and can be interpreted practically (Wüstenberg et al,2016). However, most test scores only assess factual knowledge. For example, a test may assess a student about music theory, but the student’s ability to create a quality composition is not evaluated. Test scores would be more effective if they could cover other aspects of individual competency such as creativity, resourcefulness, and enthusiasm, which are traits that are crucial and desirable in modern careers. According to research, it was found that the time spent on preparing for tests was more compared to the time is taken for learning, especially in school districts with low test scores.

Most of the test scores, such as standardized tests, create anxiety and tension to both teachers and students. This affects the students in that they may be pressured to memorize so as to pass the tests and it may also cause the teachers to put emphasis on performance in the test rather than comprehension of what was taught. Moreover, since most people judge the quality of schools by the performance in standardized tests, the administration may be tempted to buy exams so as to get public popularity (Siddieck,2018).

Test scores are also used to asses educator’s performance in institutions and the level of competency of teachers (Ballou et al,2015). This limits their role as educators, which is to discover the different learning capabilities of students. Teachers are key players in helping students realize their abilities. Therefore, assessing a teacher’s competency-based on the performance of the students in tests is not reliable. Educators may also feel pressure to teach students how to answer tests instead of equipping learners with concepts that will help them during the trial (Springer et al,2015).

Counter Argument

Test scores have been used for an extended period of time since the 19th Century to measure student’s individual competency. They have enabled students to strive to improve their understanding by providing a common ground for the evaluation of the students (Jacob,2016). It has further enabled students to prioritize their studies, and it has provided a measure for discovering competent teachers based on student performance (Siddieck,2018). However, test scores should be supplemented with other ways of assessing student’s abilities so that their talents, creativity, skills, and progress are put into consideration before determining their individual competency. Moreover, the tests should not override the main objective of education, which is gaining a comprehensive understanding of the concepts that are taught.

Conclusion

A student’s individual intelligence entails more than academic competence, and thus, test scores should not be the sole measure of intelligence. The test scores provide an excellent platform for evaluation, but other factors must be considered when testing learner’s abilities. The aspect of using test scores has encouraged memorization rather than comprehension of concepts; thus, there is a need for other measures of evaluation to be used when determining learner’s intelligence.

References

Ballou, D., & Springer, M. G. (2015). Using student test scores to measure teacher performance: Some problems in the design and implementation of evaluation systems. Educational Researcher, 44(2), 77-86.

Haimovitz, K., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). What predicts children’s fixed and growth intelligence     mind-sets? Not their parents’ views of intelligence but their parents’ views of failure.          Psychological Science, 27(6), 859-869.

Jacob, B. A. (2016). Student Test Scores: How the Sausage Is Made and Why You Should Care.             Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1,# 25. Center on Children and Families at Brookings.

Kretzschmar, A., Neubert, J. C., Wüstenberg, S., & Greiff, S. (2016). Construct validity of           complex problem solving: A comprehensive view on different facets of intelligence and         school grades. Intelligence, 54, 55-69.

Siddiek, A. G. (2018). The impact of test content validity on language teaching and learning.       Available at SSRN 3180269.

Whitehurst, G. J. R. (2016). Grading soft skills: The Brookings soft skills report card. Evidence    Speaks Reports, 2(4), 1-7.