"It hurt my heart and my wallet”. Student experiences of undertaking LANTITE

As political debate dominates the discourse on improving the quality of initial teacher education (ITE), where is the voice of those who have the most at stake the students? In 2016, a nationally standardised literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education students, (LANTITE), was introduced to ensure graduate teachers are in the top 30% of the adult population for literacy and numeracy. Given the recent introduction of this high-stakes test little is known about the views and experiences of stakeholders (practicing teachers and teacher educators) and those who undertake it – ITE students. In this presentation initial findings from a mixed methods study exploring student and stakeholder perceptions and experiences of LANTITE will be shared. Specifically, this presentation will explore 218 ITE students views and experiences of undertaking LANTITE at different stages of the high-stakes journey. Findings reveal many students experienced challenges with key elements of the testing process and expressed concerns regarding the emotional and financial implications of taking the test.