Korean Educational Development Institute(KEDI)

Using a nationally representative sample of teachers from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), this study employed structural equation modeling to examine the influence of testing pressure on teachers’ sense of empowerment and its further consequences on their sense of community and professional commitment. Findings of this study suggest that testing pressure appears to lower teachers’ sense of empowerment, and engenders further negative consequences on teachers’ sense of community and their professional commitment. In addition, testing pressure may still deteriorate teachers’ working condition independent from the level of social support that is provided within the school. Furthermore, such negative impact of testing pressure was prominent on middle and lowest socio-economic status (SES) schools. This study suggests a need to reconsider the notion that the pressure created by testing policies may lead to successful changes on teachers’ working environment.