Committee Chair

Rutledge, Valerie C.; Rausch, David W.

Committee Member

Miller, Ted L.; Seivers, Lana C.

Department

School of Professional Studies

College

College of Health, Education, and Professional Studies

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a relationship existed between early-career teachers’ performance on the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) as a measure for improving readiness to teach and their Level of Effectiveness (LOE) score once they begin teaching, and to investigate perceptions of early-career teachers regarding how well the edTPA prepared them to teach. The study addressed three Research Questions: Does a relationship exist between early-career teachers’ performance on the edTPA assessment and their LOE score; Is there a difference in the performance on edTPA outcomes of early-career teachers based on education level, area of certification, or grade point average (GPA); and Is there a difference in the perception of the value of edTPA in early-career teachers since completing the edTPA during their preparation program and entering the teaching workforce. This study employed a correlational non-experimental quantitative research design to explore the relationship between variables. A survey was conducted to gather the early-career teachers’ perceptions of the value of the edTPA during preparation and beginning to teach. The participants in the study consisted of 134 early-career teachers who completed their educator preparation program from the same university and were employed in the same school district. Data analysis indicated no significant association between first-year teachers’ edTPA and LOE scores and no significant interaction between education level and grade level certification on edTPA performance, nor in the interaction between grade level certification and GPA. However, GPA revealed a significant difference for 6-12 grade level certified candidates. The survey had a response rate of 52%. Survey results revealed that 94% of respondents perceived the edTPA as stressful and time consuming and not an accurate assessment of their teaching. However, 54% agreed their participation in the edTPA had better prepared them to be a more effective teacher. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research were identified based on data results and survey responses. There are many factors to consider when determining the value of the edTPA as an assessment of teacher candidates’ preparation and readiness to teach. Further investigation is warranted due to the limited scope of this study.

Acknowledgments

It is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank my dissertation committee. Your continued guidance and encouragement were truly appreciated throughout this journey. Thanks for sticking with me as I changed topics mid-stream and began the process all over from the beginning, which greatly extended the time to complete my dissertation. I sincerely appreciate the many hours you committed on my behalf to read, respond, and provide meaningful feedback. Thanks to my Co-Chairs Dr. David Rausch, and Dr. Valerie Rutledge, for seeing this project to the end. You went above and beyond to help me reach my goal. Thank you, Dr. Ted Miller, for your patience and expert knowledge in methodology and for answering my multitude of questions. Your timely feedback, almost instantaneous, was most appreciated so that I did not lose my train of thought while immersed in the data. Special thanks to Dr. Lana Seivers for your continued and resolute reassurance along this journey, as well as your first-hand knowledge about teacher preparation in Tennessee. You have provided me with immeasurable and rewarding employment opportunities during my professional career at the Tennessee Department of Education and Middle Tennessee State University. You have been a genuine friend and inspirational mentor.

Degree

Ed. D.; A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Education.

Date

8-2021

Subject

Teachers, Training of; Teachers--United States--Examinations

Keyword

edTPA a Measure of Teacher Readiness

Document Type

Doctoral dissertations

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xii, 106 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

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