Is Test after Student's In-class Performance or Future Growth?

Emphasizing in-class performance and maximizing students' future growth both are worth to be considered as test objectives. In my opinion the statement should be "Testing emphasizes in-class performance to maximize students' future growth". In this sense, test ensures good quality of outcomes as it becomes a teaching/learning tool that carries many advantages for both teacher and student.

For teacher test, as a design, indicates how good his teaching is, if we agree that we test what we teach. It also helps teacher to identify his students' needs and abilities. In class test enhances teacher autonomy as he fully responsible for all three phases; pre-test, test and post-test. In terms of testing writing skills, teacher can observe how his students think and how do they produce and organize their ideas that help him in planning his teaching methods and activities. Test provides good deal of date to evaluate many issues in the class. These data might be used in evaluating content, teaching or learning.

On the other hand, it ,test, drives students to use their cognitive skills as they answer such as perception, logical thinking and reasoning, creativity … This independency in thinking and determining builds and increases students' self-esteem and make them confident in their abilities and decisions. Test encourages students in searching the information. Students will try to check their answer, before getting their scores, either by discussing the answers with peers or by searching resources e.g. the internet. Using test as a learning tool minimizes tension as students get rid of the worries of scoring.

At the end of the test, feedback provides both teacher and student with sufficient information about teaching/learning process. "The traditional feedback", which comes from the teacher to his students, helps them to get reliable correction for their mistakes. Peer feedback opens doors for students to think and find new techniques in taking test.

In short, using test as teaching/learning tool enhances students' in-class performance to help them on future growth. However, it needs hard work from the teacher in the all three phases of test.