Abstract
Outcomes in education are complex and numerous. Seemingly simple instructional choices can have far reaching implications for a student’s interest in a subject, their social network, and even their psychological well-being. These types of outcomes are rarely studied however. Interest in short-term instructional outcomes is far more prevalent, as made evident by the popularity of yearly high-stakes testing. Combatting this trend will require educators and policy makers to consciously investigate the various outcomes, even if only informally. This article offers a taxonomy of educational outcomes to help with this process. The taxonomy assists stakeholders at all levels understand the potential impact of their decisions. The article discusses a variety of delineations to help readers examine potential outcomes, including instructional and educational, short and long-term, and cognitive and non-cognitive. Finally, it provides a series of guiding questions with examples taken from the research literature to facilitate the process of exploring these outcomes.
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Rigney, D.Y., Zhao, Y. Side effects in education: Taxonomy of educational outcomes. Prospects 52, 33–39 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09574-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-021-09574-6