Ontario's Standardized Test Policies From Paulo Freire's Perspective

• In Event: 46.086 - Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 46.086-12 - Paulo Freire: Philosophy and Pedagogy, Critique and Possibilities

Abstract

According to Earl (1995), for much of the twentieth century, Ontario did not emphasize on high-stakes testing and assessment in its educational system. However, in 1996, the provincial large-scale assessment was put into effect through Bill 30: an act to establish the EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office). It is a semi-independent government agency, which runs separately from the Ministry of Education. EQAO annually tests reading, writing and mathematics for grade three and six students, applied and academic mathematics for grade nine students and literacy for grade ten students. Academics and educators have raised a number of concerns related to the standardized tests in Ontario. There are concerns that standardized assessment narrows down the curriculum by prioritizing mathematics and literacy at the expense of other subjects and it often causes teachers to teach to the tests. These concerns have led me to come up with this paper whose purpose is to apply the Freirian perspective (as the theoretical framework) on the current testing policies in Ontario. Specifically, I analyze how such policies perpetuate the use of banking-model learning methodology where students are viewed as empty objects that need to be filled up with knowledge. Furthermore, I discuss how the current testing policies oppress and dehumanize students’ ways of being, and thinking. Finally, I purpose an alternative to ensure accountability without dehumanizing students in the process. The research method that I used for this paper is an extensive literature review on testing and testing policies in Ontario along with Paulo Freire’s works. I reviewed the peer-reviewed scholarly articles on this topic along with the relevant policy documents throughout the time from the Ontario Ministry of Education as the sources of my data. In this section, I lay out some findings of my study. Upon reflection on the Freirean ideas, I do not recommend the reliance on standardized tests to determine educational quality and make relevant decisions for the following reasons. First, the current policies perpetuate the use of banking-model learning methodology where students are dehumanized and viewed as empty objects that need to be filled with knowledge. Second, the current testing policies oppress students’ ways of being, and thinking. Furthermore, the standardized tests perpetuate inequity in education and reflect the neoliberal agenda, which Freire consistently opposed. Finally, I propose alternatives to balance the standardized tests as a means to ensure accountability without dehumanizing students. I propose the uses of portfolios and projects to promote meaningful learning while measuring students’ capabilities at the same time. Such practices would respect students’ curiosity and pre-conditions as humans (Freire 1998).

References:

Earl, L. M. (1995). Assessment and Accountability in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Education, 20 (1), pp. 45-55. Retrieved April 14, 2010 from http://www.csse.ca/CJE/Articles/FullText/CJE20-1/CJE20-1-05Earl.pdf

Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Author

• Gordon Moningka Djong, University of Toronto - OISE