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The Professional Functions of Secondary School Teachers

Author(s):
Bukatko, Patricia A.; Freeberg, Norman E.; Rosenfeld, Michael
Publication Year:
1992
Report Number:
RR-92-47
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
150
Subject/Key Words:
Job Analysis, Praxis Series, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Role

Abstract

The purposes of the secondary school job analysis study were: 1) to define the domain of teaching tasks for the newly licensed secondary school teacher's job; and 2) to contribute to the documentation of the content validity of the performance assessment to be developed for Stage III of the Praxis Series. The study identified a pool of tasks that were judged to be performed by and important for newly licensed teachers by subgroups of teachers, school administrators, and teacher educators. The most important tasks were found in the job dimensions of: 1) planning and preparing for instruction; 2) managing the classroom; 3) implementing instruction; and 4) evaluating student learning and instructional effectiveness. The job analysis at the secondary school level identified 50 of 87 tasks that met the 3.50 standard for all administrators, teacher educators, teachers and relevant subgroups of teachers. The tasks found to be important for newly licensed teachers also were judged by teacher educators as tasks that teachers candidates have had an opportunity to learn in a teacher education program and that also were judged by teacher educators and school administrators as contributing to differentiating between more and less effective beginning teachers. The job analysis at the secondary level was also compared to job analyses at the other two teaching levels, indicating a great deal of overlap in content across the three levels. These results could be used by test developers to develop other assessments at each level or across all three levels. Twelve appendices include descriptions of the study participants and the materials sent to them (including the Job Analysis Survey) and tables of the results of the study, including the distribution of importance for newly licensed teacher's job ratings from all respondent groups; a list of states participating, by region; and mean ratings on several dimensions. (JGL) (150pp.)

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