Premium
Conceptualizing the Classroom of Target Students: A Qualitative Investigation of Panelists' Experiences during Standard Setting
Author(s) -
Hein Serge F.,
Skaggs Gary
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
educational measurement: issues and practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.158
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1745-3992
pISSN - 0731-1745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3992.2010.00174.x
Subject(s) - task (project management) , cognition , psychology , reading (process) , qualitative research , focus group , qualitative analysis , protocol analysis , qualitative property , mathematics education , medical education , applied psychology , pedagogy , computer science , medicine , cognitive science , social science , business , management , marketing , neuroscience , machine learning , sociology , political science , law , economics
Increasingly, research has focused on the cognitive processes associated with various standard‐setting activities. This qualitative study involved an examination of 16 third‐grade reading teachers' experiences with the cognitive task of conceptualizing an entire classroom of hypothetical target students when the single‐passage bookmark method or the yes/no method was used during a one‐day mock panel meeting. Data were collected using in‐depth focus group interviews with eight participants from each of the panel meetings, and a whole‐text analysis revealed three categories. Most participants experienced difficulty in attempting to conceive of an entire classroom of target students. Most of them were ultimately unable to do so and made use of alternative cognitive strategies. More fundamental issues also contributed to the difficulties experienced in attempting to complete the required cognitive task. Implications of the findings for standard setting and for further research are also discussed.