Sense Making and Professional Identity in the Implementation of edTPA

Abstract

edTPA is designed to strengthen teacher professionalization and provide a framework for program redesign. However, using a national assessment to shift the content of local programs is challenging because of their inherent organizational complexity. In this article, we focus on this complexity, using a systems lens to analyze edTPA implementation at a large, public university. Employing a mixed-methods case study design, we survey 250 teacher educators and candidates to understand how they interpret the demands of edTPA and how their varied perspectives impact each other. We interview a stratified, purposive subset of participants to explore mechanisms underlying quantitative findings. We find substantial internal variation in edTPA implementation that translates into differential support for candidates. This variation could not be explained by duration of implementation of edTPA. Varied perspectives may stem from distinct perceptions of teacher educators’ professional roles and the role they see edTPA playing in teacher professionalization.

The Role Of Organizational Commitment Of Teachers In Professional Culture

“…Organizational commitment of teachers is the influence of the teacher's confidence in the organization on the sense of believing in himself as a professional. Namely, "psychological assistance to the professional development of the teacher is possible while ensuring the mutual agreement and interaction of the employee and the enterprise (organization)" (Novikova, 2016;Kalashnikov & Minyurova, 2017;Cohen et al, 2018).…”

Examining Diverse Perspectives of edTPA Policy Implementation Across States: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

“…This includes academic language, teaching pedagogy, differentiation, and assessment. Fourth, we find edTPA is cultivating external legitimacy—something the profession has often lacked (Cohen et al, 2020). On one hand, it is helping to standardize what good teaching is within programs and across states.…”

“…For decades, teacher educators and policymakers have sought to strengthen teacher professionalization (Cohen et al, 2020). With this in mind, the status of the profession has been reframed as a policy problem (Cochran-Smith, 2004).…”

Preparedness and Experiences of Novice Teachers in the Sociopolitical Context of Heightened Immigration Enforcement: Evidence from a Survey of California Teachers

“…This is the first study to take an in-depth look at how the effects of immigration enforcement are manifesting in a critical portion of the teaching workforce, those who are new to the profession. By focusing on novice teachers, this study also connects these experiences to current efforts to improve teacher preparation, where TPPs are commonly seen as a critical policy lever (Hutt et al, 2020). This focus on new teachers is also important given that new teachers are more susceptible to stressors associated with increases in job dissatisfaction compared to teachers with greater experience (Zhang & Zeller, 2016), ultimately leading to burnout and turnover.…”