ERIC Number: EJ750488
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 30
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 39
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3737
Using Structured Classroom Vignettes to Measure Instructional Practices in Mathematics
Stecher, Brian; Le, Vi-Nhuan; Hamilton, Laura; Ryan, Gery; Robyn, Abby; Lockwood, J. R.
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, v28 n2 p101-130 Sum 2006
Large-scale educational studies frequently require accurate descriptions of classroom practices to judge implementation and impact. However, it can be difficult to obtain these descriptions in a timely, efficient manner. To address this problem, the authors developed a vignette-based measure of one aspect of mathematics instructional practice, reform-oriented instruction. Teachers read contextualized descriptions of teaching practices that varied in terms of reform-oriented instruction, and rated the degree to which the options corresponded to their own likely behaviors. Responses from 80 fourth-grade teachers yielded fairly consistent responses across two parallel vignettes and moderate correlations with other scales of reform-oriented instruction derived from classroom observations, surveys, and logs. The results suggested that the vignettes measure important aspects of reform-oriented instruction that are not captured by other measurement methods. Based on this work, it appears that vignettes can be a useful tool for research on instructional practice, but cognitive interviews with participating teachers provided insight into possible improvements to the items.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Mathematics Education, Mathematics Instruction, Interviews, Instructional Materials
American Educational Research Association. 1230 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036-3078. Tel: 202-223-9485; Fax: 202-775-1824; e-mail: subscriptions@aera.net; Web site: http://www.aera.net
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 4
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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