First Steps in Improving Preservice Special Education Teaching: The Development of a Valid Observation Protocol

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable Session: Retaining Special Education Teachers

Abstract

Observation protocols play a critical role in preservice teacher preparation. They identify important elements of effective teaching, which can be used to guide improvement efforts and to help establish whether preservice teachers are competent to begin teaching. To date, special education has lacked widely-used observation systems reflecting principles of effective special education teaching. Therefore, this study’s goal is to describe steps that have been taken to develop and validate the Preservice Observation Instrument for Special Educators (POISE). Using Kane’s approach to validation, we conducted a series of sub-studies – including an extensive literature review, interviews with content experts, two reliability studies, and one predictive validity study – aimed at establishing POISE as an instrument that could help special educators improve.    

Authors

• Daisy Pua, University of Florida

• David John Peyton, Appalachian State University

• Mary T. Brownell, University of Florida

• Nathan Jones, Boston University