what teachers think about teacher prep: results from a survey of teachers
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What Teachers Think about Teacher Prep: Results from a Survey of TeachersTRANSCRIPT
What teachers think of teacher prep
Findings from a survey of teachers
Our goal in surveying teachers about teacher preparation
• We are starting a conversation about teacher preparation quality with those it most directly affects – teachers themselves.
• NCTQ will not use any of the data from the survey in its national review of teacher preparation programs.
• This stand-‐alone, unscientific survey will help us get a better sense of what many teachers think about teacher preparation.
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What teachers think of teacher prep: Key findings
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• 81 percent want a national review of teacher prep.
• 59 percent felt “very prepared” or “prepared” in their first year in the classroom.
• But only 40 percent of respondents who came via alternative routes into the profession felt very prepared or prepared.
• Respondents felt that their programs were particularly strong in imparting classroom management skills, but not in helping them to use data to differentiate instruction.
• Respondents said they chose their programs based on location and reputation, but would have liked to have known more about quality of coursework and practical experience.
Basic facts about survey
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• 4,279 began survey; 3,777 completed most or all of it. • Survey open from August 3 until September 23, 2011 • Respondents recruited via:
• Twitter • NCTQ newsletter mailing list • Mailing lists of teachers surveyed in Los Angeles and Miami-‐
Dade County for past NCTQ projects • Survey respondents’ own referrals (270) • Teachers’ unions: Hillsborough Classroom Teachers
Association, Illinois Education Association, Missouri State Teachers Association
Who responded to the survey: Years of experience
Average number of years since graduating from teacher preparation program: ≈14 • 7 percent of respondents graduated in 2011 • 2 percent of respondents graduated before 1970
• Median number of years since graduation: ≈10
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Who responded to the survey: Pathways into the profession
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38%
15% 13%
12%
12%
7%
2% 1%
How did respondents prepare to become teachers? (n = 4,274)
Undergraduate degree in educaCon
Simultaneous undergrad subject-‐maHer and educaCon degrees
Graduate training (not necessarily degree)
AlternaCve cerCficaCon (e.g., TFA, district "fast-‐track")
Graduate degree before becoming teacher
Post-‐baccalaureate undergraduate degree
No preparaCon
Prepared outside the country
Who responded to the survey: What are they teaching?
7
31%
17% 21%
5%
3% 2%
10%
11%
Grade level and area taught by respondents (n = 3,403)
Elementary general ed
Middle school general ed
High school general ed
Elementary special ed
Middle school special ed
High school special ed
Other
I am not currently teaching.
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Overall satisfaction
8
24%
35%
33%
8%
How prepared did you feel to teach in your first year in the classroom? (N=3,335)
Very prepared
Prepared
Somewhat prepared
Not at all prepared
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Focus on teachers who entered through alternative routes
9
10%
30%
40%
20%
How prepared did you feel to teach in your first year in the classroom? (n = 489)
Very prepared
Prepared
Somewhat prepared
Not at all prepared
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Specific skill areas
10
1.90
1.51
2.04
1.56 1.47
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
How to help students from diverse
backgrounds succeed (n=2668)
How to use data on student learning to
modify and differenCate instrucCon (n=2626)
Classroom management skills (n=2630)
How faculty at successful schools work
collaboraCvely (n=2617)
Understanding how to use technology to enhance learning
(n=2622)
How much of a posiCve impact did teacher preparaCon make on respondents’ instrucCon in key areas? (3 = "big"; 0 = "didn't learn about area in teacher prep")
What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Focus on elementary teachers and classroom management
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Made a big difference
38%
Made some difference
38%
Made not much difference at all
14%
Didn't learn this in teacher prep
10%
Elementary school teachers’ responses on posiCve impact of teacher preparaCon on their classroom management skills (n =
1,026)
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What teachers got out of teacher preparation: Focus on elementary teachers and using data
Made a big difference
24%
Made some difference
28%
Made not much difference at all
17%
Didn't learn this in teacher prep
31%
Elementary school teachers’ responses on posiCve impact of teacher preparaCon on capacity to use student data to
differenCate instrucCon (n = 1,021)
Respondents overwhelmingly want a national review of teacher preparation programs
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81.4%
18.6%
Should there be a naConal review of teacher preparaCon programs? (N=3,867)
Yes
No
How teachers chose their teacher preparation program
14
50.9%
38.2%
37.5%
29.1%
25.4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Loca<on/Convenience
Reputa<on of college/university
Reputa<on of teacher prepara<on program
Known for providing good prac<cal experience
Cost
Top three reasons for choosing teacher prepara<on program (only reasons chosen by more than 25% of respondents; n= 3,426)
What teachers now wish they could have known about their teacher preparation program before they attended
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43.2%
42.8%
33.3%
28.3%
22.6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Quality of pracCcal fieldwork/experiences (e.g. student teaching)
Quality of professional coursework on teaching and learning
Strength of career services/job placement
Strength of partnerships with school districts
Quality of faculty
(Respondents could check all that apply; N=2,770)