Assessing Elementary Students' Perceptions of Class: A Tool for Teachers and University Student Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: Designing and Using Assessment Tools for Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to assess whether the Elementary School version of the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation Inventory was valid for use with elementary students in classrooms with regular classroom teachers and student teachers enrolled in a university teacher preparation program. The participants included 535 first- to fifth-grade students from the classes of 29 teachers from six schools. Results of the confirmatory factor analyses, conducted by grade level and teacher type, revealed that the data fit the five-factor structure of the inventory well for teachers and student teachers at the lower- and upper-elementary grades. Several implications for teachers and student teachers are discussed, including that teachers can use the inventory to reflect on and improve their lessons.

Authors

• Brett D. Jones, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Miranda Lee Sigmon, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University