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Relationships between pre-service teachers' characteristics, high-stakes testing, and math efficacy beliefs in a former community college teacher preparation program in Florida

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Date Issued:
2004
Summary:
In Florida, recent changes in legislation have granted community colleges the ability to now offer Baccalaureate degrees in education, frequently to non-traditional students. Additionally, teachers face more high-stakes tests than ever before, and often times struggle with the mathematics sections of such tests. A comprehensive literature review in the areas of pre-service teachers' math knowledge, teachers' efficacy beliefs about teaching math, and the high-stakes mathematics testing of teachers was conducted. Based on the information obtained from the literature review, the study examined a population of pre-service teachers in a new teacher preparation program in Florida. The research investigated relationships surrounding pre-service teachers' characteristics such as: ages, failed attempts on high-stakes math sub-tests, levels and grades earned in lower-division math courses, time elapsed between lower-division and upper-division math courses, and the grade earned in the math methods course, in relation to their efficacy beliefs about teaching math. Results from the study revealed that pre-service teachers' ages, levels and grades of lower-division math courses, and grades earned in the math methods courses, did have a significant relationship with their math efficacy beliefs, as measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI). The variables of failed attempts on high-stakes math tests, and the time elapsed between lower- and upper-division math courses, did not significantly correlate with pre-service teachers' MTEBI scores. Additionally, a multiple regression model including the previously mentioned variables did predict pre-service teachers' MTEBI scores greater than chance, although the model did not generalize to the greater population. The findings from this study can assist new teacher preparation programs, which may serve non-traditional students, in isolating variables that can identify pre-service teachers who are at risk for poor mathematical experiences and attitudes in the early stages of the program. If pre-service teachers are prone to negative beliefs about teaching math, then any information in assisting these students prior to their having an effect on math education for future students can be beneficial. While this study posits some avenues to pursue in fostering positive math beliefs and experiences in teacher preparation programs, recommendations for further research in this area also will be discussed.
Title: Relationships between pre-service teachers' characteristics, high-stakes testing, and math efficacy beliefs in a former community college teacher preparation program in Florida.
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Name(s): Bingham, Amy A., author
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Kumar, David D., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2004
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, FL
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 138 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In Florida, recent changes in legislation have granted community colleges the ability to now offer Baccalaureate degrees in education, frequently to non-traditional students. Additionally, teachers face more high-stakes tests than ever before, and often times struggle with the mathematics sections of such tests. A comprehensive literature review in the areas of pre-service teachers' math knowledge, teachers' efficacy beliefs about teaching math, and the high-stakes mathematics testing of teachers was conducted. Based on the information obtained from the literature review, the study examined a population of pre-service teachers in a new teacher preparation program in Florida. The research investigated relationships surrounding pre-service teachers' characteristics such as: ages, failed attempts on high-stakes math sub-tests, levels and grades earned in lower-division math courses, time elapsed between lower-division and upper-division math courses, and the grade earned in the math methods course, in relation to their efficacy beliefs about teaching math. Results from the study revealed that pre-service teachers' ages, levels and grades of lower-division math courses, and grades earned in the math methods courses, did have a significant relationship with their math efficacy beliefs, as measured by the Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (MTEBI). The variables of failed attempts on high-stakes math tests, and the time elapsed between lower- and upper-division math courses, did not significantly correlate with pre-service teachers' MTEBI scores. Additionally, a multiple regression model including the previously mentioned variables did predict pre-service teachers' MTEBI scores greater than chance, although the model did not generalize to the greater population. The findings from this study can assist new teacher preparation programs, which may serve non-traditional students, in isolating variables that can identify pre-service teachers who are at risk for poor mathematical experiences and attitudes in the early stages of the program. If pre-service teachers are prone to negative beliefs about teaching math, then any information in assisting these students prior to their having an effect on math education for future students can be beneficial. While this study posits some avenues to pursue in fostering positive math beliefs and experiences in teacher preparation programs, recommendations for further research in this area also will be discussed.
Identifier: 9780496083879 (isbn), 12110 (digitool), FADT12110 (IID), fau:9020 (fedora)
Degree granted: Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2004.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Education
Subject(s): College teachers--In-service training--Florida
Education--Standards--Florida
Educational tests and measurements--Florida--Evaluation
Mathematics teachers--Training of--Florida
Teachers--Training of--Florida
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12110
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.