ERIC Number: ED249268
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1984-Apr-27
Pages: 26
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Practical Value of What First-Year Teachers Have Been Taught in College: Implications for Teacher Competency Exams.
Benz, Carolyn R.
In certain skills and attitudes, expected competencies of new teachers may be unreasonable in relation to both their college preparation and in terms of what they confront in their first classrooms as professionals. This study was undertaken, in part, to assess how first-year teachers may fare in relation to proposed competency testing models. Three groups of graduates (N=168) of the University of Akron's College of Education from the classes of 1980, 1981, and 1982 were sent follow-up survey questionnaires. Preparation quality was significantly below "importance on the job" for five of 17 skills/attitudes: (1) classroom management; (2) rapport with pupils; (3) working in an organization and productive interpersonal peer relationships; (4) understanding the changing nature of pupils' families; and (5) working with parents. It is argued that sufficient competencies in these skills cannot be expected at this preparatory stage of career development. These results support the competency testing models of Morine-Dershimer and Medley both of whom have proposed a temporal sequence of competency tests. The results relate less well to the models of Winne and Howey. The skills in which first-year teachers felt needs were "people," or human relations, skills--important for teacher success, yet difficult to measure. Perhaps the skills/attitudes of an entry level teacher cannot be tested for competency. The questionnaire and results are appended. (Author/BS)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Teacher Examinations
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A