Team Testing for Individual Success and the Development of Interpersonal Skills Among Aspiring School Leaders 131Outcomes
The literature on team testing included several positive outcomes on student achievement
and social skills. Briggs and Harris (1990) asserted that team testing was a learning tool.
Other studies also supported this idea and noted that both motivation and learning were en-
hanced when team testing was used (Briggs & Harris, 1990; Hancock, 2007; Lockemy &
Summers, 1994; Zimbardo et al., 2003). Team testing required higher order thinking and oral
learning (Hurren et al., 2006). Cooperative work on a written exam required oral rehearsing of
material and the explaining of material to others to arrive at solutions (Lou, Abrami, Spence,
Poulson, Chambers & d'Apollonia, 1996). As Lou and colleagues noted, learning depended on
giving explanations to help clarify one’s own learning and on receiving explanations to help
correct misconceptions.
Individual and group student achievement showed improvement with the use of teams
(Nowak, 1996). Zimbardo et al. (2003) noted that team testing had a positive effect size of 0.8
on student scores. Briggs and Harris (1990) found that when business students paired for test-
ing, scores improved by 20% to 22%. In addition to achievement, the retention of course con-
tent has also been shown to improve with team testing (Cortright, Collins, Rodenbaugh, &
DiCarlo, 2003).
Several studies supported the idea that social and interpersonal skills were improved by
the use of team testing (Hurren et al., 2006; Lou et al., 1996; Zimbardo et al., 2003). Specifi-
cally, communication skills were improved with the use of the technique (Hurren et al., 2006;
Lou et al., 1996). Also worth noting is the improved self-concept students reported after tak-
ing part in team testing (Hurren et al., 2006; Lou et al., 1996; Nowak, 1996). In their meta-
analysis, Lou et al. (1996) found that grouped students had a significantly higher general self-
concept than did students who were not grouped.
Educational Leadership Constituent Consortium Standards
The Educational Leadership Constituent Consortium (ELCC) Standards are at the base of
course content in the field of education leadership. Just as course content is tied to the six
ELCC Standards, teaching and assessment methods in leadership courses should also support
these standards. Standard 3 (National Policy Board for Education Administration [NPBEA],
2002) states the following:
Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the knowl-
edge and ability to promote the success of all students by managing the organization,
operations, and resources in a way that promotes a safe, efficient, and effective learn-
ing environment. (p. 7)Substandard 3.2, Manage Operations, includes the following indicator (NPBEA, 2002):Candidates demonstrate the ability to involve staff in conducting operations and set-
ting priorities using appropriate and effective needs assessment, research-based data,
and group process skills to build consensus, communicate, and resolve conflicts in
order to align resources with the organizational vision. (p. 8)While the content of most courses in Education Leadership programs is aligned to ELCC
standards, attention is not often paid to how assessment methods relate to the standards. Team
testing is a method that can be used to build the skills described in the third ELCC standard.