Examining Teachers’ Perceptions of the Social Validity of StudySync® (Poster 21)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 9:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Examining Teachers’ Perceptions of the Social Validity of StudySync®

Abstract

School systems regularly adopt standardized curricula in order to advance student achievement. However, few studies examine teachers’ perceptions of standardized curricula or how its use affects teachers’ autonomy and self-efficacy, which are critical factors related to teacher retention and student achievement. This qualitative study examined six secondary English Language Arts teachers’ perceptions of (a) the social validity of StudySync®, a standardized curriculum, and (b) how StudySync® influenced their teaching autonomy and instructional self-efficacy. Participants were observed and interviewed. Participants perceived StudySync® to have moderate social validity, with both benefits and drawbacks regarding the curriculum’s goals, procedures, and effects. Teachers perceived that StudySync® had both positive and negative impacts on instructional self-efficacy, but only negative effects on autonomy.

Authors

• Jessie O'Brien-Sheats, Lehigh University

• Brook Sawyer, Lehigh University