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Validity Evidence to Support the Revision of a Licensure Assessment for Psychology Teachers: A Job-Analytic Approach

Author(s):
Swiggett, Wanda D.
Publication Year:
2011
Report Number:
RM-11-28
Source:
ETS Research Memorandum
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
72
Subject/Key Words:
Job Analysis, Licensure, Certification, Psychology, Validity, Praxis

Abstract

A job analysis was conducted to define knowledge important for entry-level psychology teachers. The results will be used to guide the development of new test content specifications for the Praxis Series Psychology assessment. A draft domain was constructed from national standards, textbooks, and existing test specifications. A national advisory committee (NAC) of psychology teachers and college faculty reviewed and modified the draft domain to reflect the knowledge they believed was important for safe and effective practice and needed at time of entry into the profession. The NAC met virtually (i.e., distance-based) via telephone and computer along with ETS staff who facilitated the meeting. The revised domain consisted of 70 statements clustered within seven major categories: (a) Methods, Approaches, and Ethics; (b) Biopsychology and Sensation and Perception; (c) Lifespan Development; (d) Learning, Memory, and Cognition; (e) Personality and Social Psychology; (f) Motivation, Emotion, and Stress; and (g) Psychological Disorders and Treatment. Survey responses of 564 psychology educators provided independent evidence of the importance of the domain. Respondents judged each knowledge statement on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (extremely important). A total of 60 knowledge statements had mean ratings above 3.50 in the aggregate sample and for subgroups containing more than 30 respondents. The results indicate that these 60 statements may be considered appropriate for guiding the development of new test content specifications for the Praxis Psychology assessment.

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