Research in Brief - December 2006 - Volume 106(8)

Do Teachers Differ by Certification Route? Novice Teachers' Sense of Self-efficacy, Commitment to Teaching, and Preparedness to Teach

Linda Reichwein Zientek
Blinn College, Texas

Alternative teacher certification (ATC) programs offer one method to help alleviate teacher shortages (Cox, Matthews & Assoc, 2001; Hallinan & Khmelkov, 2001). While much debate has arisen over ATC programs, very few have empirically examined their impact on the teaching pool (Darling-Hammond, Berry & Thoreson, 2001; Darling-Hammond, Chung & Frelow, 2002; Goldhaber, 2000; Ingersoll, 1999; Shen, 1997, 1999). The present study was designed to explore differences by certification type and program characteristics based on novice teachers' demographics, educational attainment, sense of self-efficacy, and sense of preparedness to enter the classroom.

The present study was, in part, a replication of the Linda Darling-Hammond's 2002 study. The sample was obtained through school districts and alternative certification programs. Results suggested ATC programs were somewhat diversifying the teaching population by bringing in more minorities and science majors, but did not appear to be bringing in more experienced scientists and mathematicians nor did they appear to be alleviating the teacher shortage. Results from the present study supported the view that: (a) certification route played a role in teacher's perceptions of preparedness, but positive mentoring experiences and prior classroom experience may have helped offset differences between certification routes; (b) detecting differences between certification routes was further complicated by differences between programs within certification routes, especially traditional certification programs; (c) alternative teacher certification programs have somewhat diversified the teaching population, but tended to be more beneficial for teachers over 40, especially for those who had prior careers in public service; (d) educators were still not committed to ensuring all teachers receive high quality mentoring; and (e) components of teacher preparation programs did impact teacher effectiveness.

The data supported the conclusions by Darling-Hammond that traditionally teachers feel better prepared than alternatively teachers, although these differences were small and on a select number of items and were possibly influenced by positive mentoring experiences of alternatively certified teachers. The biggest differences existed on Promoting Student Learning. Regardless of certification route, prior classroom experience was a strong predictor of Overall Preparedness and a teacher’s perception of his or her ability to be an effective teacher. For ATC teachers, positive mentoring experiences were a strong predictor of teachers' perceptions of Overall Preparedness.

The discussion of whether or not ATC programs should exist should now be replaced with a discussion of how to ensure that these programs produce better teachers and improve student learning. The underlying theme from the present study was that, in order to feel prepared and have high self-efficacy, novice teachers needed instruction in the majority of the components identified by research and by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (1996), including positive mentoring and field based experiences. Results from the present study supported the assertion that teacher preparation programs, program components, mentoring experiences, and field-based experiences did impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom.

References

Cox, Matthews & Associates, Inc. (2001, August 20). Shortage prompts community colleges to train, certify teachers. Community College Week, 14(1).

Darling-Hammond, L., Berry, B. & Thoreson, A. (2001). Does teacher certification matter? Evaluating the evidence. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 23, 57-77.

Darling-Hammond, L., Chung, R. & Frelow, F. (2002). Variation in teacher preparation: How well do different pathways prepare teachers to teach? Journal of Teacher Education, 53, 286-302.

Goldhaber, D. (2000). Does teacher certification matter? High school teacher certification and student achievement. Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 22, 129-145.

Hallinan, M. & Khmelkov, V. (2001). Recent developments in teacher education in the United States of America. Journal of Education for Teaching, 27, 175-185.

Ingersoll, R. M. (1999). The problem of underqualified teachers in American secondary schools. Educational Researcher, 28(2), 26-37.

National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF). (1996). What matters most: Teaching for America's future. Retrieved December 31, 2002, from www.tc.edu/nctaf/publications/whatmattersmost.html

Shen, J. (1997). Has the alternative certification policy materialized its promise? A comparison between traditionally and alternatively certified teachers in public schools. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19, 276-303.

Shen, J. (1999). Alternative certification: Math and science teachers. Educational Horizons, 78(1), 44-49.