Title:
Novice teachers' perceptions of preparedness to teach by certification route
Author:
Karen E. Wooten
Committee Member:
Diane Davis
Committee Member:
Margaret Mahoney
Committee Member:
Sharon Slear
Degree Granting Institution:
Notre Dame of Maryland University--School of Education
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Date Created:
2009
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
reformatted digital
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of certification route (traditional versus non-traditional) on second-year, core content area (English, mathematics, science, and social studies) high school teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to teach. The curricular model for teacher preparation proposed by Feiman- Nemser (2001) served as the conceptual framework. Sixteen teacher-learning activities associated with the early stages along the teacher-learning continuum were examined. Thirty-two novice teachers from a Mid-Atlantic State participated in the study. Participants completed a researcher-designed, self-report survey. The research instrument measured novice teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to teach based on participation in teacher-learning activities across three stages of novice teacher learning—pre-employment, first-year teaching, and second-year teaching. For each of the three stages of novice teacher learning, participants used a 4-point Likert-like scale to indicate the extent to which they perceived 16 teacher-learning activities to be beneficial to their teaching and professional development. Independent samples t-tests were computed to examine the effects of certification route on teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to teach. Statistically significant differences between traditionally prepared and non-traditionally prepared teachers' perceptions of preparedness to teach were found for pre-employment and first-year teacher-learning activities, but not second-year professional development activities. Compared to non-traditionally prepared novices, traditionally prepared novices perceived college courses in education and content area course work as beneficial pre-employment and first-year teacher-learning activities. The perceived benefits of networking with other educators were greater for non-traditionally prepared teachers, as compared to traditionally prepared teachers, during first-year teaching. This study found no significant differences for any of the second-year teacher-learning activities. These findings suggest that the effects of teacher certification pathways on teacher learning are limited to pre-employment and first-year teacher-learning activities. Additionally, for all novices in this study, the perceived benefits of some teacher-learning activities persisted along the novice teacher-learning continuum, particularly for those activities involving positive relations with colleagues. Both traditionally and non-traditionally prepared teachers benefited from networking with teachers inside and outside their school communities and from assistance and guidance provided by the teacher across the hall.
Subject:
Mentoring in education
Subject:
Teacher--In-service training
Subject:
Teacher--Self-rating of
Subject:
Teacher--Social networks
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Subject:
Employment
Subject:
Learning Activities
Subject:
Teacher Certification
Subject:
Secondary School Teachers
Subject:
Beginning Teachers
Subject:
Professional Development
Subject:
Teaching Methods
Subject:
High Schools
Subject:
Teacher Education
Subject:
Teacher Attitudes
Subject:
Teaching Models
Subject:
Likert Scales
Subject:
Teacher Collaboration
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations
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Identifier:
WootenKE-09
