Research of middle school mathematics teachers' opinions on common written exams held across the country and their exam evaluation

The aim of this research is to examine the views of middle school mathematics teachers on the common mathematics written exams conducted by the Ministry of National Education across Turkey and to evaluate these common exams by mathematics teachers who teach mathematics at the sixth grade level. In the research, the case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The research participants consist of two study groups. The first group consists of 80 mathematics teachers working at any grade level in public schools during the 2023-2024 academic year, and the second group consists of 30 middle school mathematics teachers teaching at the 6th grade level selected from among the 80 mathematics teachers. While the first study group was formed using maximum variation sampling, the second study group was formed using criterion sampling. As data collection tools, a 'Semi-Structured Interview Form' and a 'Common Exam Evaluation Form' prepared by the researcher were used. The research data were analyzed using the content analysis method suitable for qualitative research, and the findings were determined. As a result of the research, the majority of teachers believe that the nationwide common exam practice is not appropriate because it does not adhere to the principle of student-centeredness. Factors such as students' readiness levels, interests, needs, expectations, opportunities, abilities, and intelligence, as well as regional differences, have been identified as the main reasons for this view. However, the number of participants who believe that the nationwide common exam practice is appropriate in terms of ensuring standardization is not small. Opinions have also been identified that the nationwide exam practice has positive effects in terms of high validity and reliability, accurately assessing student levels, improving the quality of education, and providing a more equitable assessment. Additionally, it has been found that the nationwide common exam practice causes stress among teachers, students, and parents, and that the questions in the exams are of moderate difficulty, with a need for questions addressing different student levels.