The examined life: perspectives of lower primary school students in Hong Kong

Students have a wide experience of being tested, but their perceptions of assessment are comparatively under-explored. This paper illuminates the perspectives on assessment of a sample of lower primary school students in Hong Kong. It uses focus group interviews and draw-a-picture technique to elicit their views. The main findings are that assessment can bring a sense of satisfaction or happiness, but that more than half of the informants indicated that they had negative feelings in relation to testing. The paper reinforces how students are controlled and moulded by their assessment experience, and its significance lies principally in documenting this phenomenon amongst lower primary school learners.