Interdisciplinary Studies, Development, and



Interdisciplinary Studies, the Detrimental Effects of

Standardized Testing, and Development

Beth Gaylor

IDST 2930

December 12, 2008

Interdisciplinary studies is defined as differently by many different people. Throughout this Liberal Studies Seminar class, we have examined these definitions and come up with our own explanations of what it is. Augsburg cites Klien and Newell to give us the scholarly definition of interdisciplinary studies as:

“a process of answering a question, solving a problem, or addressing a topic too broad or complex to be dealt with adequately by a single discipline or profession...interdisciplinary studies draws on disciplinary perspectives and integrates their insights through construction of a more comprehensive perspective. In this matter, interdisciplinary study is not a simple supplement but is complementary to and corrective of the disciplines” (15).

She then examines the five distinct elements or characteristics of interdisciplinary studies that become apparent through that definition. “These include:

1. Means for addressing questions or solving complex problems.

2. Draws on multiple disciplinary perspectives.

3. Works toward the integration of multiple disciplinary insights through the construction of a more comprehensive perspective.

4. Goal is to construct a more comprehensive perspective in answering questions, solving complex problems, or obtaining a greater understanding.

5. Results in correcting, complementing, and supplementing the limits of disciplinary approaches” (15).

Creating a metaphor is a great way to explain this concept of interdisciplinary studies. Baking a cake is a perfect example of a metaphor such as this. Each ingredient is good by itself, but when they are all combined and baked the end result of a delicious cake is much better. This is just the same as disciplines. Individually, they give insight from one specific perspective, but when you study them all together and integrate concepts and thought from a group of them a much more dynamic and intelligent view is achieved.

Augsburg goes on to explore the different types of interdisciplinary studies, which is also crucial to understanding what it precisely is. Full interdisciplinarity would involved all five of the characteristics and is “more than one perspective used from more than one discipline to create a more comprehensive perspective in solving or addressing a complex problem that cannot be satisfactorily addressed using one of the traditional disciplines” (15). Partial interdisciplinarity includes at least one element of full inderdisciplinarity, but is specifically viewing a specific topic in an interdisciplinary way (15). Instrumental interdisciplinarity occurs when methods or tools are borrowed from an array of disciplines to address the needs to a specific problem (24). Conceptual interdisciplinarity “endeavors to understand and/or solve complex problems” and “is concerned with how interdisciplinary work occurs” (25). Critical interdisciplinarity is focused on “the profound critique of, or opposition to, disciplines” (25). My work in liberal studies is conceptual and full interdisciplinarity.

A complex issue I have begun to examine this semester and will further my research on throughout my last three semesters of study is how standardized testing is detrimental to high school students. The effects brought upon by these forms of testing, especially the amount its being done in schools now, are oftentimes quite far-reaching. There are externalities, or unintended effects, of all situations and they can be positive or negative. I believe there are many more negative externalities than positive ones in regards to standardized testing. I see an overwhelming disproportion among the amount of detrimental affects the students and teachers incur as opposed to the government or other system-wide officials. This issue is certainly complex, but it is very interdisciplinary as well. As I’ve already begun to delve into, standardized testing affects multitudes of people and situations and can be viewed through the lens of many disciplines. Political science, economics, geography and demographics, statistics, rhetoric, psychology, and health are e few specific disciplines that have a direct affect within this complex issue.

Mandated standardized testing has become a common practice, and it is more often than not coming from government officials and not classroom teachers. Laws requiring students to pass one specific test over certain material in order to be promoted to the next grade is a prime example of the way the political realm has entered its way into the classroom. Economically standardized testing is affecting the students, teachers, and schools drastically. The millions of dollars spent on standardized testing each year is money not available for pay raises or benefits for teacher and other school employees, new textbooks, and other school needs and activities. This makes the school environmental much less effective on many different levels. The geographical aspect of standardized testing and how the areas in which the tests are administered are all demographically different and diverse is also a factor. An example of how geographic regions affect standardized testing is the amount of students in each location taking the test. In regards to the SAT, nearly all students (even those not headed for a four-year college) in some states take the test, whereas in others only the top few students take it. This obviously skews the results and may shed negative light on geographic regions just because of the number of students taking the test not the knowledge of the students there or the education they have received. This example is also how statistics becomes a factor in examining the effects of standardized testing. Knowing data such as how many students in different areas are taking these standardized tests and is crucial. Rhetoric, or the use of language, affects how the questions are asked and how the directions the test administrators must read verbatim are connotated. If the questions aren’t asked in a way students would understand the questions aren’t truly effective in measuring their knowledge and the harsh, rigid-sounding instructions given are also very effective scare tactics. They certainly imply how important the tests are, but they also invoke a great deal of fear into those taking the test (especially if the student was already experiencing test anxiety). The health and psychological effects of standardized testing was one of my first thoughts and concerns upon embarking on this complex issue. I had friends who would get physically sick when they had to take these standardized tests. The physiological effects of stress and particularly test anxiety are debilitating and are a main reason many students cannot perform well on these tests even if they have the material being tested over mastered. All these demonstrate how standardized testing and its effects are so detrimental to high school students. It is a very complex and interdisciplinary issue. Looking a just the psychological effects of the tests on the students or just the economic factors of standardized testing isn’t showing the full scope or range of all the detrimental effects.

While reading Amartya Sen’s Development as Freedom, I began to see how development can be related to my complex issue of the detrimental effects of standardized testing. In regards to education, or more specifically to the students in an educational setting, I believe development to be intellectual growth, learning how to express the concepts learned in the classroom in real-life experiences, and building individual thoughts and opinions on the subject matter being learned. This final and most important aspect of development in education is not being achieved or evaluated through standardized testing. Then, as a chain reaction, students are not developing when they are simply being taught the tests. Some of the economic perspective comes into play here too. Sometimes teachers’ jobs are even at risk based on the performance of their students on these tests. Therefore, there is tremendous pressure to simply teach the test instead of teaching the material effectively. Then, psychologically, the students know how high the stakes are when taking the standardized tests (their moving on to the next grade, their teacher’s job, funding their school gets, and other things) and the levels of test anxiety soar.

In the end, I see getting more out of education than a test score as the ultimate development. There may be more progression with all the standardized testing, but there certainly has not been effective development!

References

Abrams, Lisa M., Joseph J. Pendulla, and George F. Madaus. “Views from the Classroom: Teacher’s Opinions of Statewide Testing Programs.” Theory Into Practice 42 (2003): 18-29. ProjectMUSE. Georgia College and State University. 11 December 2008.

Augsburg, Tanya. Becoming Interdisciplinary: An Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2005.

“SAT Scores Stable as Record Numbers Take Test.” CollegeBoard. 26 August 2008. Georgia College and State University. 11 December 2008. .

Sen, Amartya. Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books, 1999.

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