A Qualitative Study of How Content and Instruction Help to Prepare Teacher Candidates for State Licensure Exams
Date of Award
12-12-2024
Degree Name
Ed.D. in Leadership for Organizations
Department
Department of Educational Administration
Advisor/Chair
Davin Carr-Chellman
Abstract
The passage of state standardized exams is a requirement for many professions, including education. The state of Ohio requires a teacher candidate to complete the OAE or Ohio Assessment for Educators to meet the requirements for a teaching license. Depending on a teacher’s licensure area, they must pass between two and four of these exams. These exams are costly and pose a significant challenge for many, often leading to economic hardship for those required to take them. The preparation and completion of these exams are challenging for many prospective teachers, adding to their already heavy academic workload. This study is a mutually collaborative action research study rooted in the ethics of care in education approach, which focuses on the student as a whole and individual, and intersectionality theory, which demonstrates a multifaceted connection between race, gender, and other systems that make up each individual to understand student performance deficiencies on state teacher licensure exams. This study is about identifying problems and working together to find solutions. It addresses the reason(s) why students are underperforming on state licensure exams and what can be done differently to better prepare students for those exams. Participants participated in a triangulated study involving surveys, focus groups, and interviews. The participants included current students in the School of Education, recent completers of the program, and current faculty instructors in the School of Education. Qualitative data were gathered and reviewed, providing insights into the lived experiences of education students and completers preparing for state licensure exams. Data received from the instructor's point of view also provided critical information on how these instructors view the exam requirements and, in turn, impart this content to their students. These insights were utilized through the students' voices to create a series of focused workshops customized to the needs of education students to improve their preparation for and taking state exams. The analysis and interpretation of the data revealed the strengths of the school's exam preparation methods, as well as ongoing challenges. It laid the foundation for an action plan focused on improving education students’ preparation for state exams and developing professional training for faculty and staff to help them better prepare these students for all aspects of the exam process. The interviews, focus groups, surveys, and an analysis of existing scholarly literature clarified the need for the action plan. The study has important implications for future practice and research. It shows that including teacher candidates allows faculty to understand their experiences and needs, and engaging organizational stakeholders effectively creates organizational change. The study also demonstrates that improving student preparation for exams will require a change in organizational culture. This study is only the beginning of studying and analyzing the exam preparation process and how future efforts may improve that process for students in education. Implementing these initiatives also raises the possibility of studies comparing these efforts to those at other schools of education aimed at similar goals.
Keywords
state teacher licensure exams, improving pass rates on teacher licensure exams, Instructor instructor and preparation of teacher candidates for state licensure exams
Rights Statement
Copyright © 2024, author.
Recommended Citation
Roush, Melissa, "A Qualitative Study of How Content and Instruction Help to Prepare Teacher Candidates for State Licensure Exams" (2024). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 7501.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/graduate_theses/7501
