Measuring the Complexity of Teaching Practice for Equity: Results and Utility of the Scenario-Format Scale

• In Event: 34.058 - Seeing Patterns in the Kaleidoscope: Understanding Learning to Teach for Equity

Abstract

Objectives/Related Literature
Despite the significant growth over the past two decades of teacher preparation programs with equity goals, a remaining challenge is to understand how and to what extent programs prepare and support teacher candidates to enhance the achievement of all learners while addressing systematic inequity. Most instruments measuring different aspects of equity-centered or social justice teaching provide useful summary information based on traditional item formats (e.g., Henry, 1986; Siwatu, 2007). However, none of the existing scales provide an authentic interpretation of what a person’s score means in relation to a complex construct. This paper presents the results and utility of the Teaching Equity Enactment Scenario (TEES) scale designed to measure teachers’ self-reported levels of enacting equity-centered practice.

Theories of equity-centered teaching informed the construction of the TEES (Author, 2016). The project team conducted a content analysis of five international syntheses that align with the goals and assumptions of equity-centered teaching (Author, 2016; Author, 2017), resulting in The Facets, which are six interconnected facets or principles of practice for equity: (1) selecting worthwhile content and designing and implementing learning opportunities aligned to valued outcomes; (2) connecting to students as learners and their lives and experiences; (3) creating learning-focused, respectful and supportive learning environments; (4) using evidence to scaffold learning and improve teaching; (5) taking an inquiry stance for further professional engagement and learning; and, (6) recognizing and challenging classroom, school, and societal practices that reproduce inequity (Author, 2017).

Mode of Inquiry/Data Sources
Guided by a novel approach to the measurement of complex psychological and educational constructs (Author, 2014), we hypothesized that equity-centered teaching practice could be conceptualized as a ladder-like continuum ranging from lower to higher levels of enactment (see Figure 1). We developed 15 comparative scenario-format items with five items capturing each of three levels of enactment–low, moderate, and high. Seventy-three teachers from the U.S. and New Zealand were instructed to reflect on their practice, compare it against the practice described in a scenario, and rate their own practice based on a five-point level of enactment scale (much lower = 1, slightly lower = 2, about the same = 3, slightly higher = 4, much higher = 5). For instance, choosing about the same meant that respondents conceived of their own practice as similar to the practice in a scenario; higher scores indicated higher levels of enactment of equity-centered practice.

Findings/Significance
We found that the 15 scenario-format items defined a continuum measuring increasing levels of enactment of practice for equity. The scale provided a rich meaningful narrative interpretation of participants’ levels of enactment based on their scores (see Table 1). Further analysis of two sub-samples (from the U.S. and New Zealand) suggested that enacting equity-centered practice is a cross-cultural construct. The TEES Scale provides a powerful way to capture teachers’ perceptions of their equity-centered practice. In addition, teacher educators in the equity-centered [Name of Program] used TEES data to understand their teacher candidates’ learning; the results helped shape the curriculum, on-campus courses, and organization of field work.

Authors

• Wen-Chia Claire Chang, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Larry H. Ludlow, Boston College