Entry Questionnaire: Report No. 2 November, 2011/ Fall 11 Cohort

Transcription

1 Entry Questionnaire: Report No. 2 November, 2011/ Fall 11 Cohort Deron Stender and John Hoover St. Cloud State University December 2011 A Report of the Assessment Working Group Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 1

2 Entry Questionnaire Study Introduction The data reported in these pages reflects the first formal use of the Common Metrics (TPI) entry instrument. We propose that the entry survey (See Appendix A) be required for admission to education, though we understand that it will require some action through the curriculum and unit assessment committees. This study was designed to provide data to assist in the recruitment of candidates to the education field (for instance, to determine one s route into the teaching profession), to obtain information about candidate s intellectual interests, with an eye toward identifying likely candidates for high-need fields should these differ from their original intended field. This study was designed to provide data to assist in the recruitment of candidates to the education field (for instance, to determine one s route into the teaching profession), to obtain information about candidate s intellectual interests, with an eye toward identifying likely candidates for high-need fields should these differ from their original intended field. The data collected via the introduction study will go forward to Hezel-DMD, the venders that the Bush Foundation has selected to analyze these data. However, we believed that the data might be useful for the Recruit Working Group, particularly and have thus disseminated a version of the manuscript for TPI use. Several suggestions came forward from the Assessment Working Group and these will be accommodated in second and subsequent releases of the same data. The data will be sorted by program as identified by prospective education majors. Objective metrics that are collected on most SCSU students will be included in subsequent analyses, these would include at least the following ACT scores, grade point average at the time of the study, and grade points on university required courses Method These data were collected in the introductory education courses in September and October of We have not combined the results of this survey with any pilot data because of significant instrumental changes developed as a result of an earlier pilot and beta testing. Fall semester was the first time that an effort was made to locate all education majors and potential education majors. We did this by scheduling appointments with the instructors teaching introductory courses (ED 200, SPED 200, CFS 200, and ED 300) and then collecting data inperson during these courses. It remains our intention to capture the same data from transfer students and students that did not attend on the days we visited via asking for results during the period that they apply to the education major. Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 2

3 Results Demographic/ Descriptive Information Via the survey s first items, we asked for descriptive data identifying candidates and their characteristics. Results and a brief commentary are laid out in Tables 1-4. In line with other Common Metrics instruments, respondents were invited to respond with more than one racial category. In the present case, no respondent did so (see Table 1). Table 1. Gender and self-selected racial ethnic designation fall, 2011 respondents. Frequency Gender Male Female TOTAL Responding Racial/ Ethnic Category American Indian/ Alaska Native Asian Black/ African American Hispanic Latino/a Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander White These data match very closely with objective data collected from university sources as of October 15, Nearly exactly the identical proportion of White candidates were noted between these two sources of data, 91.8% in these current study and 91.6% among students a little further along in the major (Hoover & Stender, 2011, A glimpse of teaching field majors). Age. Table two shows the average age of respondents (at the time they filled out the instrument) and provides the mean age at which they first thought of teaching. In terms of categorical data, most responses fell into the middle school years. In fact the median age at which respondents had first thought of teaching was 15, meaning that half the respondents had starting contemplating a teaching career by the time they started high school. The 75 th percentile fell at age 18. Clearly, advertising and informational campaigns would need to cover two periods. First, elementary students should be made aware of the possibility of entering education and teachingrelated fields. Second, more intensive campaigns would probably do best to target young adolescents. Table 2. Age-related variables (at time filling out survey + first recall interest in teaching). Range Age-Related Variables N Mean SD Low High Age of respondent Age of first interest in the education professions Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 3

4 Mother s and father s level of education. We asked candidates to indicate the highest level of education completed by their mothers (female guardians) and fathers (male guardians). These data are provided in Table 3. Table 3. Level of mother s (female guardian) or father s (male guardian) education. Mothers or Female Guardians Fathers or Male Guardians Valid Valid Frequency Frequency Elementary only Some high school High School Grad/ GED Some college Two Year or Tech Degree Year Degree Some Grad School Grad or Tech Post Grad Total The fall 2011 cohort of prospective education candidates came from reasonably educated families, with over half of mothers (or female guardians) having earned two-year degrees or more. The corresponding figure for fathers was just under half. A quarter of candidates female guardians had reportedly earned four-year degrees; the figure was slightly lower for fathers (13.8%). A tendency existed during the pilot study for the education levels of mothers and fathers to be correlated (rxy =.36, p <.001). We observed the same results here note that we coded greater attainment at higher values (rxy =.47, p <.001). Schooling factors. Several items addressed candidates history in terms of school-related factors. As can be seen below, types of schools, special settings, and advanced placement issues were addressed. Table 4. Type of school attended. School type Frequency Valid Comprehensive Public (traditional public school_ Vocational/technical public Preparatory private Parochial private Home school Obtained GED Total Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 4

5 Table 5. Number and percent indicating a special school setting. Type of Institution Frequency Nominated Charter School Alternative School Bureau of Indian Affairs School(s) Clearly, the great majority of education majors appear to be drawn from traditional public schools. The ratio of the present cohort reporting that they graduated from a comprehensive public was greater than nine in 10 (95.4%), with only a few having attended private schools and only one having been home schooled. Very few likely candidates had attended alternate types of secondary schooling, such as charter schools (4.6%), alternative schools (3.1%), and Bureau of Indian Affairs learning institutions (N = 0 in this cohort). In fact no member of the F 11 group reported ever having resided on an American Indian reservation. Another recruitment issue is reflected by the desire to bring in well-prepared academic candidates. While many potential education majors reported having taken dual-credit courses (24.6%) and AP courses (40.5%), far fewer represented the academically rigorous international baccalaureate (3%) ( Table 6. Advanced high school work indicators. Type of College or College-Like Work in High School Frequency Nominated Nominated Dual credit courses Advanced Preparation (AP) courses International Baccalaureate Post-Secondary Education Option Courses Selected more than one of the above The home area of candidates is indicated by the location of their high school. These data are provided in Table 7. In terms of the recruitment of diverse candidates, the education unit has some distance to travel. While SCSU-education successfully recruits from the metropolitan suburbs (22.6%), few candidates come from the urban centers of Minneapolis or St. Paul, thus suggesting that recruitment could be intensified in the city centers (N = 2 candidates having graduated high school in either Minneapolis or St. Paul). Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 5

6 Table 7. Demographics of high school location (from which candidate graduated). Frequency Rural area in Minnesota Other city in Minnesota (20,000+) Twin Cities Metro Other rural area in the U.S Other suburban area in the U.S Outside the U.S Other Minneapolis or St. Paul City in South Dakota (20,000+) Other urban area in U.S City in North Dakota (20,000+) 1.5 Rural area in South Dakota 1.5 Total Candidates Academic and Intellectual Interests Common Metrics committee members expressed an interest in incoming candidates academic commitment and interest in order to set a baseline with an eye toward tracking changes in the candidate pool. A secondary reason for collecting these data was to identify candidates in competitive fields in order to offer them alternatives in high-need discipline areas. While candidates expressed intellectual curiosity and interest values above the scale s hypothetical mid-point in most domains (e.g., above 2.50), the exceptions proved to be (1) the laboratory sciences, (2) technology, (3) mathematics, and (4) business. It is expected that these values might increase as a function of future selection factors. Certainly, these could serve as baseline data for programs such as elementary/k-6 as they seek candidates with wide-ranging intellectual interests. These data can be disaggregated by field, as we collected student IDs and indicants of the preferred field within education. Table 8. Levels of academic interest (4-point increasing scale); descending order by mean value. Highly Level of academic interest in Interested N Mean SD (Choice = 4) Reading for pleasure Language arts Health & Physical education Social sciences Fine arts Family & Consumer Sciences Sciences (Laboratory Sciences) Technology Math Business & commercial Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 6

7 Positive and Negative Factors Related to Candidates Career Choices Items of the entry survey addressed candidates interest in the selection of education careers. These are shown in the tables to follow. Most of the items referred to positive factors, but several addressed attitudinal barriers to entering education. Positive factors related to career choices. We divided items related to positive influences on education into two sub-sections. In the first, items that could be answered by all candidates are laid out (see Table 9). For example, we assumed that all candidates could reasonably report on whether [encountering a] a particularly excellent elementary teacher caused them to think of education as a career because all respondents putatively attended some version of elementary school. In a second sub-section, we addressed items assuming explicit experience(s). For example, suppose that having parents who served as professional educators influenced one to enter the field. A respondent could only answer the item (positively or negatively) in the case that at least one of their parents was, in fact, an educator. Thus, for the set of items (e.g., Table 10) an NA response choice was provided along with the scalar values. The data in Table 10 were converted such that NA responses were re-coded as missing. Thus, the column labeled percent agree reflects the percent who (a) responded, and who also (b) agreed with the item (tended to agree + agree). The percent responding value indicates the percentage of candidates who either agreed or disagreed. Using the above logic, we suspect that seven in 10 respondents worked during summers with children at some point; of that proportion, 85.6% agreed that this labor influenced their decision to pursue licensure. Both tables are arranged in descending order by mean value on the four-point scalar version of the variable. Table 9. Factors influencing the selection of education as a field; descending order by man value: Items on which everyone [could] respond. Factor N Mean SD Agreed Interest in making society better Interest in child, growth, develop Interest in subject matter/explore as a teacher Interest in teaching/pedagogy Secondary teacher motivated [you to pursue teaching as a career] Interest in adolescent, growth, develop Curiosity about how the world works Elementary teacher motivated [you] Curiosity about learning Middle School teacher motivated [you] Influential college professor These candidates see themselves as influenced positively by the potential to contribute to the well-being of children, subject matter, and by [the act of] teaching itself (of course, only as they perceive it at this very early stage in their professional trajectory). A strong majority agreed Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 7

8 with every item (e.g., selected either tend to agree or agree. It will be worthwhile to look for differences by field in latter analyses of these data (elementary vs. secondary vs. special education, for example). Table 10. Factors influencing the selection of education as a field; descending order by man value: Items on which respondents could opt out via selecting NA. Agree ( of those responding who agreed that it influenced them to go into teaching) 1 Responding/ (e.g., reporting that they had experienced the activity) 2 N Mean SD Motivated by summer work with children Motivated by serving as a classroom helper/volunteer Motivated by childcare/babysitting (that I did) Motivated by coaching children or adolescents Motivated by experience teaching/guiding other Motivated by close relative who were educators Motivated by parents being educators Motivated by family/ friends who were educators Motivated by a course Motivated by family/friends with learning difficulties Motivated by service as a paraprofessional Motivated by a poor teacher that I experienced (I [felt that I] could do better) 1 agree based on those who answered the item. Of the 71.3% who worked in the summer with children, 85.6% agreed that they were thereby influenced to think of education as a career. 2 venturing a response. 81.5% either agreed or disagreed that serving as a volunteer influenced their career choice. Factors discouraging candidates from pursuing teaching. Via the survey, potential candidates were also asked whether they had been actively discouraged from entering the teaching profession. Members of the Common Metrics group included this item in order to identify potential impediments to recruitment of course with an eye toward identifying methods to militate against these impedimenta. Significantly, one in three candidates reported receiving active lobbying against entering the field. This is another domain where members of the unit should consider focus groups and other qualitative methods in an attempt to contextualize findings. Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 8

9 Table 11. Response to question: Have you ever been discouraged from entering the teaching profession? Response Frequency YES NO Total Table 12. Individuals and groups who discouraged candidates from pursuing teaching as a career. Items: Who discouraged you from selecting teaching as a career? Frequency Relative/ Family (sibling, parent(s)), other relative Friends/ classmates Teacher/teachers (N = 3)/ professor (N=1) Important non-familial, non-teaching adults (e.g. coach, counselor) Other (myself, negative people) No Response Total Clearly, candidates most frequently received cautions from members of their primary and extended family. We requested that they provide reasons for the discouragement in essence arguments against both (a) education as a field of study and (b) teaching itself (as it appears to members of the public). Fifty-three candidates provided reasons that could be categorized into 73 code-able, separate utterances. These data are provided below (see Table 13). Low pay proved by far to be the most commonly-recorded reason that candidates received warnings (mostly from immediate family members). In informational campaigns, either the importance of pay should be downplayed or potential candidates (who tend to underestimate salaries, reference) should be provided with better information. The nature of the occupation itself (low prestige/ stressful) proved the second-most common negative factor. All of the written discouraging responses are provided as Appendix B. Perhaps professionals in the communication industry can assist us to identify arguments against the negative perceptions of teaching as a career or to find methods to express positive aspects of the field (helping others) that militate against the negative attitudes reported here. Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 9

10 Table 13. Categories of reasons candidates perceived as discouragement from entering the field (descending order). Title Explanation Number of Nominations of Nominations of Those Reporting Discouragement Remuneration Pay too low/ not enough salary and/or benefits Occupation Occupation itself is low status not respected by the public; too much stress and work Market Right now the job market is poor/ Hard to find teaching jobs Personal Either too high qualified (You could do better) Qualities or not capable (too hard for you) Poor Program Educational programs too easy; not high quality Low Respect Teachers receive low respect from students in schools Other Hard to code items/ general statements TOTAL Candidates View of Their Future We asked candidates to identify aspects of what they see as their future in teaching. Table 14 includes hopes for where they will land. Many respondents commented that they would take a job anywhere, especially in the current economic downturn. However, to track interest in urban placement generally, we asked candidates to scan the last and select only one choice. Note that the study has been completed over three states; this explains the relatively long list of employment settings. Table 14. Forced choice regarding candidates preference for job location. Potential Location of teaching Job Frequency Valid Other city in Minnesota (20,000+) Rural area in Minnesota Twin Cities Metro Minneapolis or St. Paul Other suburban area in the U.S Outside the U.S Other rural area in the U.S Other Other urban area in the U.S City in South Dakota (20,000+) City in North Dakota (20,000+) Rural area in North Dakota Total Missing System 1.5 Total Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 10

11 Nearly nine in ten candidates indicated some level of a wish to teach within 50 miles of their home town ( Yes + Maybe, see Table 15). At the time of the study, members of the fall, 2011 cohort indicated that they wished to remain in the field of education over the duration of their working lives (86% selected 11 or more years ). Given that candidates can attain employment nearby, a strong majority will likely take positions as close to their original home as possible. Table 15. Responses to question: Would you prefer to teach within 50 miles of your hometown? Frequency Valid No Maybe Yes Total Missing System 1.5 Total Table 16. How long respondents intend to teach. Frequency Valid 3-5 years years or more years Does not plan to teach Total Missing System Total Candidates were asked whether or not they had considered three related aspects of the education field, coaching, school administration, or counseling. Just about one in three had considered each sub-discipline, with nearly 8 in 10 responding either yes or maybe (Table 17). Table 17. Response to item: Have you considered coaching, counseling, or educational administration? Yes Maybe Yes + Maybe No Counseling School Administration Coaching Members of the Assessment Working Group expressed an interest in disaggregated responses to the coaching item to see which fields were most represented. It may prove useful to identify candidates who find coaching the primary reason for entering teaching and who may resultantly prove less interested in the teaching aspects of their positions. Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 11

12 Appendix A Survey Instrument Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 12

13 Appendix B All Comments Regarding Discouragement from Entering Education Comment Frequency No entry recorded Annoyance of completing the program 1.5 Anxiety, fear of public speaking 1.5 Bad economy, few jobs 1.5 Couldn t achieve such a goal 1.5 Didn t think I could handle it 1.5 Does not have high respect for teachers they complaining too 1.5 much education system is messed up 1.5 Financial 1.5 frustrating occupation 1.5 Good leader 1.5 I have a learning disability 1.5 Income is low and the amount of school needed 1.5 Income, education easy program 1.5 It is a lot of work 1.5 Job market and pay 1.5 Job outlook is poor low pay 1.5 Kids don t listen, no respect 1.5 Lack of pay at the time 1.5 Low income 1.5 low pay 1.5 Low pay 1.5 Low pay high stress 1.5 Low pay, job market 1.5 Money Money not high pay 1.5 money, comments 1.5 MPLS public schools 1.5 No jobs 1.5 no jobs bad pay 1.5 No money in teaching 1.5 Not enough job openings 1.5 Not enough money 1.5 pay 1.5 Pay Pay isnt ideal and a lot of paperwork 1.5 pay rate 1.5 Pay rate 1.5 pay, stress 1.5 poor job market 1.5 Poor job outlook, underpaid 1.5 She s a teacher 1.5 She s a teacher says it s a lot of work and stress 1.5 Stress & level of income 1.5 Teacher friend regrets it 1.5 Teachers are underappreciated and don t make a lot of money 1.5 Thought she should pursue graphic design 1.5 Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 13

14 Comment Frequency too hard to get a stable job not enough pay 1.5 too old to start now 1.5 Too smart to teach 1.5 Uncertainty of jobs 1.5 Wanted her to be a nurse 1.5 Wanted her to go to nursing school 1.5 Wouldn t get a job and no money 1.5 Total Entry Questionnaire Pilot Study Page 14