Teaching or testing, which matters more? The transition among education levels in Turkey

Abstract

This study analyzes the alignment between the educational policy of Turkey and high-stakes tests administered for students transitioning from secondary to high school. Research questions focus on the opinions of secondary school teachers about the alignment between transit exam questions and curricula, course books and materials, and their views on high-stakes testing. The research used a survey study model utilizing the triangulation design. A total of 109 teachers from six different majors working in Ankara participated in the study. An online survey consisting of eight questions was used to get teachers’ opinions. The research question was analyzed using quantitative (percentages) and qualitative (content analysis) methods. Results showed that education serves dominantly for tests emphasizing a testing-oriented education system in the current Turkish learning and teaching process, which contrasts with education policy documents targeting 2023.