Module 5b: Pre- and Post-testing for

Student Learning
Passport to Great Teaching – Creative Assessment
Timothy S. Brophy
 The Value of Pre- and Post-Testing
Pre- and post-testing, when done well, can yield valuable data for teacher
use

The process starts with the administration of a test of the knowledge and/or
skills to be taught/refined at the beginning of a sequence of instruction

The process continues with the administration of the same test at the end of
a sequence of instruction

The process ends with an analysis of the difference between the student’s
test scores or performance at these two points in time
 Student Learning
A primary reason for pre- and post-testing is to
determine the degree to which students have
learned the content or skill area of interest

Student learning can be inferred from the

difference in student performance between two
points in time

The degree to which learning can be measured

depends on many things – such as the amount
(minutes, days) and quality of instruction between
the two points in time
 Pre-testing
Most teachers develop their own tests and
performance assessments

In some cases, a third-party test – one developed

by an individual or organization other than the
teacher – is used (for example, ETS field tests)

In the pre-test phase, the teacher administers the

test and records student data to guide instruction
and for later analysis
 Post-testing

When the instructional period is complete, the teacher

administers the same test

The is the Post-testing phase

The student achievement data is recorded for each student

This data can be analyzed comparatively in two ways: one is by a

qualitative review, the other is usually via a paired-samples t-test
 Using professional judgment, the teacher
A qualitative analysis consists of a review of
determines the degree to which students
the scores or performance data with the
have learned content or improved their skills
teacher noting changes in the results over
by comparing the two sets of scores
time
qualitatively

Qualitative
Analysis
Some guiding questions are:
1. How many students increased their
scores?
2. How many did not? The teacher uses this analysis to modify and
3. How large are the differences between improve instruction
the scores?
4. What does this tell you about student
growth and the effectiveness of instruction?
 Quantitative Analysis
Teachers know that pre- and post-test scores on an
assessment are different; if teaching has resulted in the
expected learning, post-test scores should be higher

In addition to a qualitative review, it can be useful to

review the statistical relationship between the pre- and
post-test scores

When the data permit, we can use the paired samples

t-test to determine if the difference between pre- and
post-test scores is significant
 Quantitative Analysis –
Paired samples t-test
For every observed change in The paired samples t-test
Paired samples t-test– a
one student’s pre-test score, provides an estimate of the
statistical test of the difference
there is an expected change in significance of the difference
between a set of paired samples,
that student’s post-test score. between the means of the two
such as pre-and post-test scores.
For this test, the null hypothesis samples from the same subjects
This is sometimes called the
is that there are no differences – in this case, the pre- and post-
dependent samples t-test.
between the scores. tests of the students in a class.

If the test is significant at p < .05,

The p-value that the test we can reject the null hypothesis
provides gives us information and ascertain that the pre- and
that allows us to accept or reject post-test differences are
the null hypothesis. different, and the differences is
not caused by chance.
 Quantitative Analysis – Paired Samples t-test
To use the paired samples t-test
correctly, the measurement must An example of interval
yield continuous, interval data – measurement is a ruler – the
i.e., scores derived from a point distances between the points of
scale where the points are measurement (i.e., inches or
equidistant (the distance between millimeters) do not vary
the points does not vary)

Interval scales are most familiar

Because the points are equal in
when used to measure
value and represent the test
achievement on a test. For
takers amount of knowledge it is
example, a test with 50 questions
assumed that higher scores
each worth two points is worth a
represent higher knowledge
total of 100 points. The points
attainment.
earned form the test-takers score.
 Let’s work an John
Student Pre-test
28
Post-test
38

example: Qualitative Tim

Anne
24
31
35
37

Analysis Charles
Chrissy
Bernard
21
46
50
34
49
45
LaShawn 47 44
Kimara 18 30
Robb 17 25

•
Pooja 45 45
Here are pre- and post-test scores Charlie 30 35
for a group of 22 students on a Hadley 42 50
Parker 44 40
mathematics quiz (max. score = 50). Emmy 32 33
Pause the video and review these. Lily 25 40

The mean score on the pre-test is Joe

Harper
15
35
10
34
34.8; the mean score on the post- DeJuan 23 34
test is 37.4. What does your Antonio 45 46
Mariadela 20 40
qualitative analysis reveal? Tony 30 29
Tom 49 50
Let’s work an example:
Quantitative Analysis

• Here are the same two sets of

scores. These two sets of
scores can be analyzed with
the Paired samples t-test
because the scores are based
on an interval scale of 50
points.
 Try it out!

• To analyze this, open this free online

paired-samples t-test calculator in a new
window.
• Cut and paste the pre-test scores in
treatment 1 column, and the post-test
scores in the treatment 2 column. Be sure
that the significance level is .05 and the
hypothesis is two-tailed. You might want
to pause the video while you do this.
• Find the t value at the bottom of the
page, and the significance calculation or p
value.
Interpreting the coefficient

The t –value is 3.200179 which rounds to 3.2

The significance value is p < .05.

This means that for this set of scores, there is a

difference between the pre-test (mean 34.8)
and post-test (mean 37.4) scores that is not
likely due to chance.
Therefore, the teacher can conclude that the
instruction was effective and that the students
know more than they did at the beginning of
the instruction.
 Triangulation
Most teachers find the best information when they triangulate their
analyses to obtain a complete picture of student growth

When there is both a qualitative and quantitative analysis of pre- and

post-test data, teachers obtain a better idea of student learning

The qualitative analysis of these test scores revealed that 19 of the 22

students earned a higher post-test score

The quantitative analysis supports this with a significant paired

samples t-test which we would expect if 19 of the 22 in the class
increased their scores.
 Pause to Practice
• You will analyze a set of pre- and
post-test scores on a chemistry Student Pre-test Post-test
test qualitatively and Sam 36 38
quantitatively. John 35 35
LeDarius 31 37
• Using the scores shown here, Wei-shin
Christopher
29
46
34
49
analyze these qualitatively and Spencer 45 45
quantitatively (use the paired Joe 48 44
samples t-test calculator here). Sally 34 30
Write your results. Robbie 26 25
Arundahti 45 45
• Triangulate your findings. What do Terrance
Chi
23
27
26
20
these analyses tell you about the Geraldo 39 42
growth of these students in their Paul 41 41
knowledge of the tested chemistry Billy Joe 18 22
knowledge? Betty Sue 37 41
 Pause to Think

• What value does pre- and post-testing your students add to your teaching?