Open AccessDEFINING THE CONTENT DOMAIN FOR THE PRAXIS II SUBJECT ASSESSMENT IN EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: KNOWLEDGE IMPORTANT FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS
Author(s) -
Tannenbaum Richard J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
ets research report series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.235
H-Index - 5
ISSN - 2330-8516
DOI - 10.1002/j.2333-8504.1994.tb01628.x
Subject(s) - praxis , subject (documents) , space (punctuation) , domain knowledge , meaning (existential) , point (geometry) , knowledge survey , knowledge level , statement (logic) , subject matter expert , body of knowledge , knowledge space , domain (mathematical analysis) , psychology , mathematics education , computer science , mathematics , knowledge management , political science , library science , artificial intelligence , law , mathematical analysis , geometry , summative assessment , formative assessment , expert system , psychotherapist , operating system
The purpose of this study was to conduct a job analysis focusing on the knowledge important for beginning Earth and Space Science teachers. The results of the job analysis will be used to define the content domain of the Subject Assessment in Earth and Space Science for the Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers®. A domain of 292 knowledge statements and elements (specific descriptors used to clarify the meaning of each, more broadly defined, knowledge statement) was developed by subject‐matter experts. These statements and elements were then incorporated into a survey that was administered to a large number of Earth and Space Science teachers, teacher educators, and state administrators. These professionals rated the importance of each knowledge statement and knowledge element using a 0‐ to 4‐point scale. A cut point of a mean of 2.50 (midpoint between moderately important and important) was established to differentiate important knowledge ( M ≥ 2.50) and unimportant knowledge ( M < 2.50). The results indicated that a total of 36 knowledge statements and knowledge elements (12% of the total domain) failed to pass the cut point. It is recommended that these 36 statements and elements not be included in the development of the Subject Assessment in Earth and Space Science; emphasis, instead, should be put on the 256 knowledge statements and knowledge elements that did pass the cut point.