Struggling with the Implementation of edTPA: Understanding the Concerns of edTPA Coordinators in Georgia
Location
Room 218
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Preferred Time
Saturday morning
Abstract
The policy on high-stakes use of edTPA as a certification requirement in the state of Georgia has led to complex implementation issues about changes needed in curriculum, program design, and assessment practices in teacher education. Research suggests that understanding faculty concerns is critical in order to determine the nature of professional development needed, which further influences the degree to which teacher educators make changes in curriculum and implement the policy directive (Hall, 2010; Overbaugh & Lu, 2008). Our study investigates the concerns of edTPA coordinators in the implementation of edTPA within their institutions. The following questions were addressed: (a) How do edTPA coordinators describe their concerns related to edTPA implementation? and (b) What professional development opportunities do coordinators feel were helpful or were needed in light of their stages of concern? 35 edTPA coordinators from public or private institutions in Georgia responded to the Stages of Concern survey. Among these, 25 coordinators agreed to participate in a follow-up interview. Interview analyses indicated that the coordinators’ concerns were primarily in the “management” area, which included management of personal resources and responsibilities, managing time, training faculty for edTPA implementation, and providing solutions to enable edTPA implementation in their local context.
Keywords
edTPA, Implementation of state policy, stages of concern
Recommended Citation
Bhatnagar, Ruchi; Ogletree, Tamra; Jones, Morgin; Thomas, Clarice; Kim, Jihye; Howrey, Shannon; and Favors, Shaneeka, "Struggling with the Implementation of edTPA: Understanding the Concerns of edTPA Coordinators in Georgia" (2015). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 19.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2015/2015/19
Struggling with the Implementation of edTPA: Understanding the Concerns of edTPA Coordinators in Georgia
Room 218
The policy on high-stakes use of edTPA as a certification requirement in the state of Georgia has led to complex implementation issues about changes needed in curriculum, program design, and assessment practices in teacher education. Research suggests that understanding faculty concerns is critical in order to determine the nature of professional development needed, which further influences the degree to which teacher educators make changes in curriculum and implement the policy directive (Hall, 2010; Overbaugh & Lu, 2008). Our study investigates the concerns of edTPA coordinators in the implementation of edTPA within their institutions. The following questions were addressed: (a) How do edTPA coordinators describe their concerns related to edTPA implementation? and (b) What professional development opportunities do coordinators feel were helpful or were needed in light of their stages of concern? 35 edTPA coordinators from public or private institutions in Georgia responded to the Stages of Concern survey. Among these, 25 coordinators agreed to participate in a follow-up interview. Interview analyses indicated that the coordinators’ concerns were primarily in the “management” area, which included management of personal resources and responsibilities, managing time, training faculty for edTPA implementation, and providing solutions to enable edTPA implementation in their local context.
